ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 



of 1576, but is abundant in three out of the four. The average of the 

 Cambridge wheat rents is 34^. d. The bakehouse purchases are 

 made throughout the year, and the College had between September 

 23 and October 21 to pay a rather high price for a small quantity of 

 wheat. Had it not been for this, the averages would have been at a 

 lower rate than 33*. *\d. The Eton average is 48^. $d. There are 

 twelve entries of purchases by this corporation at an average of 

 40J. i \\d. The Oxford wheat rent is at an average of 41*. Sd. The 

 Winchester rents are at $8s. ^d. ; the grants at 42$. 8</., the purchases 

 at 34.$-. id. But the first of these three is probably post-dated, and 

 should belong to 1663-4. But up to 1673, the differences of price from 

 year to year are trivial. The highest prices of the year are at Lady 

 Day and Midsummer in nearly all places. This means that the crop 

 was under-estimated, and that there was some alarm felt in the 

 summer. But the alarm might have been caused by the plague, which 

 raged everywhere this year, though we know most about its ravages in 

 London. Malt rents in Cambridge are at igs. yd., in Eton at 285., 

 while the purchases at the latter are at 25*. 6 \d. ; in Oxford they are at 

 22s. Sd. ; in Winchester, under the same reservation at 2os. i\d. ; the 

 grants being at 23*., and the purchases at igs. *j\d. Oats are 

 i2s. 2$d. at Cambridge; i6s. Sd. at Eton; 15^. 2d. at Oxford, where 

 they are dear in the last two quarters; 14$. 6\d. at Winchester. 

 Oatmeal is dear, and I think that this crop must have been a light 

 one. Beans and peas are very cheap. 



1665-6. Nearly all kinds of grain are cheaper. The wheat rents 

 at Cambridge give an average of 27 s. of </. The bakehouse purchases, 

 the College being now scanty in numbers owing to the pestilence, are 

 at 26s. gd. The Eton rents are at an average of 43*. $\d. ; the 

 purchases at 331. lod. Prices at Oxford are higher, at 411. +d. The 

 Winchester rents, with the same reservation as to the year, are at 

 341. iQ\d. ; the grants at 30^., the purchases at 361-. Prices are at 

 their lowest in the summer, and for the usual reason, the anticipation 

 of an abundant harvest. The Cambridge malt rents are at i Ss. ; those 

 of Eton at 26s. >j\d., while the purchases are at 26-r. The Winchester 

 malt rents are at 2oj. 2 \d. ; the grants at 25*. 4</., the purchases at 

 231. 7</. Oats are still rather dear, there being great variations of 

 price. The Winchester average is higher than in the previous year, 

 1 6s. 2d. The price of meal is at the same price as last year. Beans 

 and peas are dearer than in the year before. 



1666-7. This is a very cheap and abundant year. The Cambridge 

 rents are at 24*. 9$</.; and the bakehouse purchases at exactly the 



