49 6 ON THE PRICE CF LABOUR. 



at Cambridge, ploughing costs yd. an acre, weeding id., the 

 second 'assatto' of barley 9</., a single 'assatio' of peas gd.; 

 while ' having in,' which appears to mean harvest labour, is 

 effected at io\d. an acre over 53 acres. In other cases hoeing is 

 paid at from z\d. to ^d. a day, and weeding at from $d. to ^d. 



Thirteen entries of digging by the day give an almost 

 uniform price of ^d. In 1420 the labour is hired at $d., in 

 1435 at zd., but in the latter food is certainly, in the former 

 probably, included. In 1551 this labour is hired at $d. and 

 4*/., in 1552 at 5^., in 1555 at 7^. (when wheat was at zzs. o^.), 

 in 1558 again at 4^. (wheat is at qs. 3^.), and in 1559 at 7^. 

 (wheat us. o|<^.). These figures seem to suggest that employers 

 took advantage of cheap years to reduce the price of labour. 



Ditching was probably, as now, an exceptional accomplish- 

 ment of the farm hand. It is paid at from $d. to 4^. the day, 

 the former more frequently. But it is generally paid by the 

 rod, pole, or perch, an average of thirty-one entries giving 

 $s. Sd. for this quantity. These range between 1403 and 

 1491. The labourer at the dung cart is paid at $d. or ^d. 

 a day ; and on one estate, Lullington, scattering dung is paid 

 at $d. the hundred heaps. The hedger is paid better, at about 

 ^\d. a day; from sixteen entries, between 1405 and 1548, the 

 price rising proportionately at the latter part of the period, 

 the entries giving an average of yd. 



Women's work is generally paid at from id. to d. (once, 

 1515, 4d.) a day. Two entries in 1563-4 give 6d. and $d. 

 Boys' labour in frightening birds and driving the plough horses 

 is at id. or zd. 



The disgusting labour of cleaning cesspools is put at ^\d. a 

 day up to 1535, when the last of the earlier entries is found, 

 and 8d. afterwards. The mole-catcher when employed by the 

 day gets from $d. to 6d. Malt-making is paid at 4^. a day 

 in 1405; labour in the marsh in 1406 at 4^. 



Other prices of work done by piece are closely analogous to 

 the day rates paid for agricultural and unskilled labour. Such, 

 for instance, is the making of faggots by the hundred. Faggots 



