210 ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 



Oxford. The year was one of great plenty. Barley is sold in Oxford 

 market at an average of 15^. \\d. Malt is not quite so cheap as 

 might be expected, did we not remember that when bread was cheap 

 more beer was drunk. The Cambridge malt rents are at an average 

 of i6s. 7^</., those of Eton at 225. iod., those of Oxford at 19$. ^d. 

 Winchester grants at 2os. and buys its large and almost regular amount 

 at iSs. 2$d. Oats are also cheap, the information being abundant. 

 The average at Cambridge is iij. 8%d., at Eton i2s. $\d., in Oxford 

 us. 4$d. t in Winchester us. g\d., at Votes Court us. iod. At 

 Mounthall in October and January they are rather dearer, 15^. 2\d. 

 Meal is found at Winchester and Mounthall, and is dearer at the 

 former than at the latter. Beans are found at Eton. Peas at Biggin, 

 Cambridge, and Mounthall. They are not so cheap as one might 

 expect. There is no great fluctuation in price throughout the year, 

 but generally they are highest at Michaelmas. Under the prospect 

 of the coming harvest, they go to the lowest in the summer. 



1 654-5. The price of wheat is the lowest of the century. The 

 Cambridge wheat rents are at 20^. g\d., the bakehouse purchases at 

 19,$-. 7f</. The Eton rents are at 23^. 4%d., no record being kept of 

 its purchases. At Mounthall there is an average of 2is. 2\d., though 

 some wheat is bought for the pigeons at IQS. The Oxford corn rents 

 are at 2is. *]\d.\ the market averages in this city are at 2is. o\d. 

 The lowest price is at Winchester. Here the grants are at 26.$*. Sd., 

 but the purchases were made at 1 7 s. gd. Barley is sold in the Oxford 

 market at an average of i$s. %%d. The Cambridge malt rents are at 

 i4.r. 6\d., those of Eton at an unvarying price on six rent days of 2os. ; 

 the Mounthall average is i8s. The Oxford malt rents are at i6s. Sd. 

 Prices are again lowest at Winchester. The grants are at i6s., but 

 the purchases are effected at 14^. 2\d. The price of oats is lower 

 than it was last year. At Cambridge it is IQS. gd., the highest prices 

 being in April. At Eton it is i^s. Sd. At Oxford, where the purchases 

 are in the last two quarters, it is i2j. 6$d. At Winchester it is i is. i \d. 

 The lowest price is at Yotes Court, where oats are bought at an average 

 of gs. io\d. Oatmeal is rather dearer than one might have anticipated. 

 Beans at Eton are rather dearer than one would have expected, nearly 

 as dear as the average of wheat, nor are peas as cheap as they might 

 be, proportionately to other kinds of grain. Tares are found in Feb- 

 ruary, March and August, at i6s. in the first two months, at 2os. in 

 the last. The year was one of extraordinary and general plenty. 



1655-6. There is a considerable rise in the price of grain, par- 

 ticularly in wheat, the price increasing as the year goes on. The Cam- 



