ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 2OQ 



wheat, the bakehouse purchases being at 35*. *jd. Eton, which has 

 now adopted five rent days, gives an average of 58 s. 6\d. The price 

 of flour is still high at Corpus and New Colleges, Oxford. The 

 Oxford corn rents are at 49*. 4^., the Winchester averages at 505-. 2d. t 

 but the grants are nearly 2os. a quarter higher than the purchases. I 

 conclude that the quantity of the crop was higher than its quality. 

 Malt rents are lower; 22*. $\d. at Cambridge, 27^. S\d. at Eton, 

 24s. at Oxford; the Winchester average is 24^. 2d. The price of 

 oats is decidedly higher. This grain is at i6s. *jd. in Cambridge, the 

 record being full; i6s. ioj</. at Eton, I'js. iof</. at Votes Court. 

 There is an entry at 23^. lod. in Oxford on February 6, but oats 

 were everywhere very dear in the winter; though they ran up to 

 higher prices in the summer. At Winchester the average is I2S. 4\d. 

 Meal after the first quarter is not dear, and the price seems to indicate 

 that the quality of the grain was good, though the crop may have been 

 scanty. The record of the New College purchases in Essex is lost 

 for some years. Peas are at more moderate prices. 



1652-3. We are now beginning a series of five cheap years, one 

 of which is the cheapest of the whole century. In this year the 

 average of the Cambridge wheat prices is 29*. 6d., the bakehouse buy- 

 ing at 26*. 9 \d. Eton begins to record the purchases for its own con- 

 sumption, having now entirely abandoned corn payments, and are buy- 

 ing on a very large scale, this year over 348 quarters at an average of 

 35*. 4</. : its corn rents being at an average of 38*. Sd. The Oxford 

 rents are at 37*. 6d. The Winchester average is 38.$*. Barley is sold in 

 the Oxford market in July and August at 17*. id., these averages, sus- 

 pended for some years, reappearing for a time. The Cambridge malt 

 rent shows an average of 23*. $\d., that of Eton 28*. 2$d., that of 

 Oxford 24*., while the Winchester average is 241. *jd. Oats are dearer 

 than they have been since 1648, abundant and dated information 

 being supplied. They are at iSs. i{d. in Cambridge, at 17*. S\d. in 

 Eton, while Master of Votes Court gives an average of iSs. id. for 

 his supply; at Winchester they are at 19*. +d. Meal at Winchester 

 is at 54*., a distinct rise. Peas and beans are both comparatively dear. 



1653-4. The price of corn declines considerably. The Cam- 

 bridge wheat rents are at 201. 1 1 1</., and the bakehouse purchases are 

 effected at precisely the same rate. The Eton average is 27*. z\d., 

 the large purchases of the establishment being effected at 251. gd. 

 The Oxford rents are at 231. 4<, while the market averages are at 

 2os. 2%d. The grants at Winchester are at 36*. Sd., the purchases at 

 25*. Flour and meal are also very cheap, both at Mounthall and 



VOL. V. P 



