ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 193 



Eton than in Oxford. The Cambridge rents are at 4u. ^d., the pur- 

 chases at St. John's, amounting to 314 qrs. i bsh., cost 575 15-f. n</., 

 or 38,$-. of</. a quarter. At Eton the average is 411. 4</. The New 

 College purchases show exactly how the price was elevated, being 

 36*. in the first, 62^. in the fourth quarter, with an average of 

 46s. 6d. The Oxford rents and assises give an average of 455. id. ; 

 the market averages of 43^. o\d. The price at Theydon in March is 

 4 is. 4d.; at Wormleighton, between February and July, 42*. 6d. A 

 considerable amount is purchased by Shuttleworth in Lancashire at 

 30J., and must have been obtained early in the autumn. It is clear 

 that the general quality was not bad, but that the crop was scanty. 

 The prices of early autumn are undoubtedly exalted by the anticipation 

 of what the coming harvest would be. Barley is, to judge from the 

 returns, higher in price than malt, which generally implies that good 

 seed was scarce. The average at Oxford is 2os. oj</. Malt is 

 17^. Sd. in Cambridge, 20*. in Eton, 2os. id. in Oxford rents. 

 But the market average, which includes the later months of the 

 agricultural year, is higher, 2 is. id. The Theydon rate is the highest 

 of all, 23*. 2\d., but the record extends from January to September. 

 Oats are fully represented, and are not dear in the early part of the 

 year. There is a very considerable return from Wormleighton, where 

 the price rises from March to May. The crop of oats was apparently 

 good, as oatmeal is disproportionately cheap. Beans are given for 

 eight months of the year from the Oxford market, and are not on the 

 whole dear, while the price of peas is considerably higher, iqs. Sd. 

 at Cambridge and 20.9. $\d. at Theydon. 



1622-3. The price of wheat is much higher, and remains high 

 throughout the year. At Cambridge it is highest at Candlemas, 

 Midsummer, and Lammas, but is lower at Lady Day. The average 

 of the Cambridge corn rents is 461. 4\d. The bakehouse purchases 

 amount to 205 qrs. 7 bshs., and cost 419 i7r. 3<, or 40^. g\d. the 

 quarter. The Eton rents are at 645. Sd., the Lady Day being a good 

 deal less than the Michaelmas price. The New College purchases give 

 an average of 56*. iod. t while the Oxford rents are at 571. S\d. t and 

 the market averages 541. 7</., the highest prices being in January and 

 June. Towards the end of the year, the price falls markedly. The 

 season was I conclude wet, and the crop poor in quantity and quality. 

 Barley is considerably dearer, and malt also rises. At Cambridge the 

 average of the malt rent is 28*. 3</., at Eton 29*. iod., at Oxford 

 271. 2(f., while the market averages are 281. 4</., including here the 

 later part of the year. The price at Theydon is the highest of all, 



VOL. V. O 



