402 ON THE PRICES OF FARM PRODUCE. 



derived from the consumption of the house of Clare, as are also 

 those from Tikhill in 1312. Those from Langley in 1318, and 

 from Westshene in 1319, are similarly obtained from the con- 

 sumption of the king's servants in these places; and in the 

 same way the sales at Southampton, and sometimes those at 

 Oxford, represent the cattle slaughtered for the use of the 

 inmates of God's House or of Merton College. 



Raw hides do not appear to have been as dear as wool, nor, 

 as we have seen, to have been liable to so many fluctuations 

 in price. They were exported in a green state, or perhaps 

 salted. Much tanning, however, was carried on in the country. 

 1 have already alluded to the numerous tanners who inhabited 

 Colchester. The reader will find the sale of oak-bark for the 

 purpose of carrying on the manufacture among the table of 

 sundry articles in 1291, the rate being 4^., whereas in 1321 it 

 is is. ^d. the quarter. In 1325 the bark of forty-five oaks is 

 sold in gross for is. at Gamlingay. In this case, however, the 

 trees must have been very small, for in 1 332 the bark of 290 

 trees is sold for i $s. ^d. The entry under 1334 of the sale 

 of the bark from three trees at Oxford, at 41. apiece, must be 

 an error in the roll, probably for 4^., this being, however, an 

 excessive price. 



Under the year 1341 (vol. ii. p. 580) will be found an entry 

 of the charge made for tanning an ox-hide ; under the year 1400 

 the charge for dressing three horse-hides into white leather. The 

 price is is. id. in the former, lod. in the latter case. Again, 

 in 1350 an Oxford tanner receives is. for tanning an ox, and 

 in 1335 \Q\d. for dressing a horse-hide. At Gamlingay, in 

 1341, the bailiff pays 3^. for tanning a sow's skin, for the 

 purpose of manufacturing harness. The white skins were, 

 I imagine, dressed with lime and fat. 



CHEESE AND BUTTER. These exceedingly important articles 

 of agricultural economy were, as I have stated, produced on 

 nearly every estate, though the information available for 

 statistical purposes is by no means as abundant as the pro- 

 duction was general. Nor is the reduction of the quantities 



