424 ON THE PRICES OF FARM PRODUCE. 



thousand. Turf is employed more frequently at Ospring in 

 Kent and at Southampton than in any other places. 



The most common name for bundles of small wood is, as 

 now, fagots; but in all probability the fagot was of very 

 various sizes. Great fagots are expressly quoted at Castle 

 Rising in 1371. Thus at Farley, Maldon, and Letherhead 

 the price is generally about 2,s. %d. the hundred, though some- 

 times much less ; whereas at Gamlingay it is almost always 

 y. ^d. At Elham it is sometimes as high as 6s. On one 

 occasion the hundred is sold at Clare at 8y., but it is clear that 

 in this year (1309) wood was exceedingly dear, for the Farley 

 fagots are double the ordinary price. In some places, however, 

 fagots are exceedingly cheap. At Kelmedon, in 1318, they are 

 sold at is. ; at Litgate, in 1346, at i \d. ; at Justice Hall, a place 

 which appears to be near Tunbridge, but which I cannot 

 precisely identify, in 1339 and 1341, at is. ^d. and is. 3^.; 

 while one sale at Worplesdon, though of a small quantity, in 

 1365, is only at the rate of %d. On the whole, however, 

 I should conclude that fagots, such as are ordinarily cut in 

 coppices, were worth, taking one place with another, about 

 2s. 6d. the hundred, and that there was no notable change in 

 the price after the commencement of the fourteenth century, 

 though they were considerably cheaper before that time. 



Fardels are quoted almost exclusively from Farley. It is 

 clear that they were smaller than fagots, as the price is always 

 lower. But beyond what is implied in this distinction I have 

 no means of explaining the character of the article. 



Still more obscure are tosards, a name also peculiar to 

 Farley. They are quoted only three times, and are always 

 at the same price as fardels. 



Kiddles appear at Gamlingay only, and seem to be the same 

 as fagots, for they are never named with the latter, and are at 

 almost the same price, that is y. 4^. the hundred. In the 

 Great Charter the use of kiddles is prohibited in certain rivers. 

 In this sense it is clear that the word means a wear, such 

 as is sometimes made at the mouth of small rivers for the 



