ECONOMY OF THE BARN. 55! 



the purchase of three wooden bushel measures of standard con- 

 tents, which cost together io</., and two gallons, three half- 

 gallons, and three quarts of the same standard, at the same 

 price. (Vol. ii. p. 642.) 



My accounts give also a few examples of wheelbarrows. 

 Four of these are bought before the Plague at an average of 

 5f^., one in 1391 at it. A few baskets are quoted at an 

 average of id. before, and >jd. after the Plague ; though in this 

 case it is not of course certain that the last entry represents 

 the same size and quality as the former. Similarly a few hand- 

 wains occur. Three of those before the Plague are worth 

 nearly 6d. each, one after this event costs it. 



The winter, however, witnessed other in and out-door avoca- 

 tions. Handmills were employed in order to grind oatmeal 

 and bruise malt, one of these mills being priced at is. under 

 the year 1308. In 1359 the Gamlingay bailiff purchases a 

 pepper-quern for 7^. ; and a millstone for mustard, valued at 

 7*., is purchased at Oxford in the year 1388. Two hand-mill- 

 stones are bought at Hornchurch at is. $d. each in 1395. We 

 shall see hereafter that sacks were made in the house, and 

 that pack-needles and thread were bought for the purpose. 



The winter was also the season for spreading dung and 

 cutting wood. My accounts give some information as to the 

 price of dung-forks. Seven of such articles, expressly specified 

 as purchased for this end, are valued at an average of i\d. 

 before the Plague. Five after this event are reckoned at a 

 little more than $d. 



Several entries are given of the price of axes. In the 

 absence, however, of any information as to the size, it is im- 

 possible to arrive at any positive conclusion as to the quality 

 or size of the article. Ten entries of axes before the Plague 

 give an average of nearly 7^.; five after it are reckoned at 

 nearly n^d. A hatchet, moreover, is bought at Letherhead for 

 6d. in 1274, another at Heyford Warren in 1380 at the same 

 price. 



There are a few entries of the price of pickaxes. All but 



