ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 



quarter, and being at 15^. n\d. At Winchester the average is 

 lys. 6d., a Lady Day oat rent being 19*. \d.\ at Votes Court they are 

 i6j. 7i</., the price in this locality rising to 2 is. in May. The two 

 Essex estates begin again to supply beans to their Oxford landlord. 

 The price is not high considering, nor is that of peas. From this 

 year the price of beans is unbroken. 



1659-60. The price of wheat is lower, though only a little on the 

 average. The Cambridge corn rents are at 44^. 2\d., the price having 

 sunk in the winter to 40^., and not rising till after Easter: of this chance 

 the bakehouse wisely avails itself, and buys at 39^. $d. The Eton 

 rents are at 6os. 6|</., the purchases for the College at 50*. oj</., a 

 proof I think that in this locality at least there was either a great 

 difference of quality or, as is quite likely, that Eton sent its agents to 

 a distance to buy wheat. The Oxford corn rents are at 57*. Sd. 

 The Winchester returns give an average of 53^. Sd. The Cambridge 

 malt rents are at 26s. $\d., a rather lower rate than last year : the Eton 

 and Oxford are higher, being respectively 34^. i\d. and 32 s. +d. The 

 Winchester entries give an average of 26s. iof</. Oats are much 

 dearer, and were probably of very various quality. At Cambridge, 

 after being high up to May, they fall in July and August, the general 

 average being i Ss. $d. At Eton they are at 2 1 s. \d. At Winchester the 

 purchases are at 15^. 6d., while the solitary oat rent is at 2os. 

 Votes Court buys in November and December at 1 1 s. 6d., and this 

 grain is cheap in Kent. Beans are rather higher; peas rather 

 cheaper. 



1660- 1. The average of this year would differ little from the last, had 

 not the forecast of the coming harvest depressed prices in the summer. 

 The average of the Cambridge rents is 49*. o\d. The bakehouse 

 again buys in the winter, and buys well at 391. id. At Eton the rent 

 average is 581-. ${d. ; while the purchases of the College, in an in- 

 structive and dated register, are at an average of 531., the price as a rule 

 going steadily up. The Oxford average is 52*. Sd., the Winchester 

 average being 53*. >j$d. Malt rents at Cambridge are at 24^. gd. t at 

 Eton 321. g\d. y at Oxford 25*. \d.\ at Winchester the average is 271. id. 

 Oats however, very plentifully recorded, are much cheaper. The 

 Cambridge average, derived from very copious entries, is 131. 7f</., 

 that of Oxford 145. 4j</., that at Winchester 141., while the pur- 

 chases at Votes Court are at ly. : Eton alone is dear at 201. lod. 

 Oatmeal is also at a moderate price. Beans are cheap, and peas far 

 from dear. 



1661-2. This year was one of famine. It is remarkable that a 



