178 ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN, 



dearer in Cambridge, where the College (King's) still gets its supplies 

 at nominal prices from its lessees. It sells however 20 quarters at 20.?., 

 and 40 quarters of malt at 13^. 4</., the latter having been by an oversight 

 omitted from the evidence. These prices are the first illustrations of 

 the difference between the highest prices of the Act and ordinary 

 market rates, for in this year S. John's (Cambridge) adopts the Act, 

 though only to a limited extent, the average here being 22*. $d. 

 Wheat is dear in Lancashire and Notts, but is only a little higher at 

 Oxford than at Cambridge, the second All Souls price indicating a 

 falling market, as is seen in August and September at Hardwick. 

 Barley is rather dear, as is also malt, of which again there is ap- 

 parently a monthly purchase at Worksop. I have found oats in one 

 locality only, but oatmeal at both Oxford and Worksop, there being 

 no material difference in the price in the two places, whether the 

 produce is described as meal or groats. Peas are found at Cam- 

 bridge, beans at Oxford, and both are dearer. Wheat-meal is rather 

 cheap. 



1591-2. This is the last year in which the average price of wheat 

 falls below 2os. There is neither rent price nor purchase at King's 

 College, but 20 quarters are sold at i6s. S. John's supplies only 

 one corn rent, that of Michaelmas ; but it is clear from the Hardwick 

 account that prices fell as the year advanced. Three sets of prices 

 are supplied from Oxford, one being a special estimate at New Col- 

 lege, which under the same dates is lower that the Market return. 

 The All Souls return notes no change during the year, and the 

 Worksop prices are low. Barley and malt are both much cheaper 

 than in the preceding year, prices falling rapidly after the harvest, as 

 is discernible in every account. There is again a high price of bigg 

 at Worksop. Oats are decidedly cheap, and so is oatmeal. No price 

 of peas has been found. Beans are purchased in Oxford, and at 

 declining prices. 



I 59 2 ~3- The harvest of this year must have been very much the 

 same as that of the previous year. King's College sells at very low 

 prices, and the solitary rent registered by S. John's is also low. It 

 appears from the four Oxford entries that the prices remained almost 

 stationary till the summer, and then decidedly rose. The same fact 

 is indicated by a dated purchase at Worksop in September, and by 

 an undated one at Seal in Surrey, the rate of which has affected the 

 average considerably. Barley and malt are cheaper than at any year 

 during the whole period, a large quantity being sold at King's at Ss. ^d., 

 and the Oxford and Worksop entries being all low, the latter giving 



