ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 187 



price lowering the average. Flour follows the price. The price of 

 barley at Theydon Gernon is not high. The price of malt is a great 

 deal higher, but prices are generally pretty uniform throughout the 

 year; 23*. 2d. at Cambridge, 28*. +d. at Eton, 2*\s. >\d. at Oxford, 

 26s. n\d. at Theydon Gernon, where, by the way, prices are a great 

 deal higher after May than before. Oats are not so much raised in 

 price, the entries being from Cambridge, London, and Theydon, in 

 which latter place the later prices of the year are again higher. Beans 

 are found at London and Oxford ; peas at Cambridge and Theydon 

 Gernon. On reviewing the facts and the dates, I conclude that the 

 scarcity of this year was mainly in the wheat crop, and taking into 

 account the anticipations of the previous year, that the rise of prices 

 was due to causes which affected the autumn sowings. 



1609-10. The price of wheat, as indicated by the Cambridge corn 

 rents, keeps pretty steady till the summer, when it declines. The 

 average is 29,?. gd. The bakehouse purchases are 254 qrs. 7 bshs. i pk., 

 the cost being 338 4*. n</., or at 26s. 6%d. The Eton rate is 

 4os. 4</. The Oxford is 35^. 2</., the latest returns in this market 

 showing a distinct rise. Barley is rather dear, but most of the entries 

 are from Essex, where the crop seems to have been inferior. Malt is 

 1 6s. iof</. at Cambridge, 24^. Sd. at Eton, igs. i}</. at Oxford. But 

 at Theydon Gernon, with dated entries from January to June, it is 

 28*. 7f</. Certain entries of malt at Gawthorp by the load I have 

 omitted, as I am not certain of the measure, though I believe it to be 

 the quarter. The high price at Theydon is, I conclude, due to local 

 scarcity. Oats are entered numerously, at Cambridge IQS. gd., and 

 at Theydon 14$. +d. The entries from Biggin, a King's College 

 estate, which begin with this year, and are continued pretty regularly, 

 are, I believe, of a corn rent. Beans and peas are at corresponding 

 prices. 



1610-1. Prices for this year are, for the averages of the time, 



moderate and uniform throughout. The Cambridge rents are at an 



average of 32*. >j\d. The bakehouse purchases are 304 qrs. 4 bshs. 



o| pk., the cost being 430 6.r. g{d. t or 28^. $d. a quarter. The Eton 



ige is 34*., that of Oxford 33*. 4</., and flour is at corresponding 



s. Barley at Theydon is cheap. Malt rises in the summer, and is 



at an average of i6s. io|</. at Cambridge, 18*. at Eton, 17*. 5^. at 



Oxford, igs. $\d. at Theydon. Oats and oatmeal are cheap. Beans 



ami peas are at natural rates. The year, as prices are certainly rising, 



is decidedly a good average. 



1611-2. Prices arc rising. The Cambridge corn rents of the two 



