374 ON THE PRICE OF FARM PRODUCE. 



heat became relatively dear. It is bought by the 1000 or 100 

 bundles, is sometimes called ' carices/ and occasionally de- 

 scribed by its origin as Lackenham or Lackingay, or Burwell, 

 sedge. It is distinguished from reeds, though the price of the 

 two does not vary in Cambridge. The burning reed bought 

 for the navy, in Kent, is either a different article, or the price 

 of this fuel is very low in Kent. Lackenham is the dearest 

 kind of sedge by fifty per cent. 



The average price of sedge up to 1540 is 2os. 6\d. the 

 thousand, and afterwards is 30^. $d. It is not raised in price 

 so considerably as other articles. But this is a commodity 

 which owed nearly, if not all, its value to labour, and as we shall 

 find hereafter, labour did not share in the exaltation of general 

 prices in anything like the same degree which other money 

 values did. 



Between 1415 and 1450, the Cambridge colleges used turves 

 pretty extensively, bought by the thousand. After the latter 

 date they are almost entirely disused. The average price is 

 a little over zs. 



At the beginning of the sixteenth century another kind of 

 fuel, generally bought by the hundred and called thack, comes 

 into use. The price varies from 8d. to i\d.^ and the use of 

 it is soon abandoned. 



A few articles have still to be commented on. Whitethorn 

 was used for hedges, as in the present day, and plants were 

 bought in the early period at from icv/. to io^d. and is. the 

 thousand. Other trees are bought for the garden in 1502, when 

 4^/. is given for twenty. In 1518, 100 willows are bought for 

 is. 4d., and in 1524, sixty for zs. 6d. In 1556 Magdalen College 

 buys 2050 plants for ( the grove/ the whole being purchased for 

 4s. lod. In 1563, quicksets are 2s. the thousand. 



I have referred above to cabbage seed. In 1420 and 1423 

 the King's Hall, Cambridge, buys parsley and apparently car- 

 roway seed. 



It will be seen from entries (sundry articles, pp. 544, sqq.) 

 that there were vineyards in 1405 at Windsor, in 1420 at 



