ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 249 



Wardrobe prices are at about the average. Barley and malt are both 

 considerably dearer, and this in Norfolk and in Sussex, from which 

 the information has mainly been derived. Oats are not dear generally, 

 considerable sales having been made at low prices, but small quanti- 

 ties are bought in Cambridge at the beginning of the year at very 

 high rates. There is no entry of oatmeal or of rye. Beans and peas 

 are rather dearer, especially the latter. 



1499-1500. The entries are numerous, being derived from Cam- 

 bridge, Wilts, Middlesex, London and Durham. Wheat prices are 

 low. The Cambridge average is only 3^. \d. The Sion accounts 

 are given by the several quarters of the year. The average in the 

 first is 4s. 2d., in the second 4$. *i\d., the price being heightened 

 by an abnormally high purchase at 8,$-., in the third at 4^. 6\d., in the 

 fourth at 45. g\d. The price of barley, derived from purchases at 

 Sion and Wearmouth, the latter at iSs. the chaldron of 36 bushels, 

 is considerably lower. The price of malt is low at Cambridge. As 

 in the case of wheat, the quarterly purchases are given for Sion, and 

 scarcely vary, being 4-5-. %\d. for the first quarter, 4.?. ^d. for the other 

 three. Oats again are cheaper. Meal, derived from Sion only, is 

 6s. 6$d. a quarter. Beans from two entries are $s. Tares, at Sion, 

 3^. 4%d. There is no entry of field peas. 



1500-1. Wheat is considerably dearer, and evidently rises in price 

 as the summer advances, reaching IQS. at two places. The Cambridge 

 average is 6s. %\d., the general, 6s. i\d. But barley and malt are 

 not similarly affected, prices remaining low. Oats are low priced, 

 but meal is rather dear. Rye corresponds to wheat. Beans are 

 cheap, though dear in one locality. It is to be observed that barley 

 is low priced in places where wheat is dear. 



1501-2. The evidence as to the price of wheat is plentiful and 

 precise. It suffers a considerable rise, reaching an average which has 

 not been attained for twenty years. The dearth is universal, and 

 progresses slowly from the beginning of the agricultural year to its 

 conclusion. The average is 7$. %\d. at Cambridge, and 9^. g\d. at 

 Sion. The Sion account is again given by quarters, the average for 

 each being 8^. gd., 8s. n\d., gs. 6%d., gs. io^d. But barley is by no 

 means equally dear, a large quantity (200 quarters) being sold at 

 Burnham Thorpe at 2s., though it is elsewhere dearer. Malt is 

 relatively dearer than barley, the prices in the Sion quarters of the 

 year being $s. 4^., &s. 4^., 5,?. id., and 5.$-. 4^. Oats are at variable, 

 but not high prices. Meal is not very dear, 7^. gd. at Sion. Rye is 

 jiot dear. Beans are also not dear. Peas are absent. 



