ON THE PRICE OF GRAIN. 249 



22J. 9\d. and 30*. 4</. In some of the localities too in which malt is 

 ordinarily cheap, as at Rugby and Stamford, the price is high. The 

 lowest prices of both are from the Eastern counties. Oats, on the other 

 hand, are not very dear in any of the districts, being scarcely altered 

 from the average of the preceding year. These are dearest in the 

 Northern markets. The highest price is Chester at 231. But they 

 are sold at 20^. in Tedbury and Wantage. In London the price is 15,?. 



Rye fully participates in the rise, being 7^. 6d. on the general 

 average dearer than in the preceding year, and reaching the highest 

 price in the South-west, where it is more than IQJ. higher than 

 in 1696. But the proportion between it and wheat is maintained. 

 The highest average is 48^. at Monmouth. But it is 46*. +d. at Brecon, 

 47.?. 5</. at Hereford, places included in the South-west district. Beans 

 and peas however are only fractionally dearer, and white peas, though 

 a little dearer on the whole, are cheaper in the South-west than they 

 were in 1696. 



1698-9. The character of this year does not differ notably from 

 that of the last. In every district but the North prices are slightly lower, 

 but this result is entirely due to falling prices in summer consequent upon 

 the near prospect of a fairly good harvest, which would naturally be dis- 

 cerned at a later date in the North. The fall is only on an average about 

 2s. a quarter, but it is a mere fraction in the Midland district, 

 while there is a rise of 4*. 6d. in the North. The highest average 

 is Brentford, with 62$. %\d. ; next is S. Alban's, with 6is. io^d.; then 

 Croydon, with 6is. 6f</. The average at London is 55-r. ^d. Omit- 

 ting the average at Pembroke, which is always low, the prices at 

 Falmouth, Exeter, and Plymouth are 411. g\d., 431. io\d., and 44*. Sd. ; 

 and in this year the lowest range of prices is in the South-west district, 

 to which I have assigned the two sea-ports. Some of the Midland 

 prices are also comparatively low. The Home district prices are, as 

 usual in times of scarcity, about 6s. 6d. dearer than the others ; but the 

 other four districts (I except the South-west) are very close together, 

 ranging it will be seen from an average of 5 if. 4\d. to 521. 6d. 



Barley and malt are a good deal dearer, about y. 6d. There 

 is a rise in every district, being least in the South. The highest price 

 for barley is at Brecon, 36*. 4<f., where malt is 40*. But at Derby, 

 whrrc brewing was extensively carried on, the prices are respectively 

 34J. 4 j</. and 42;. +\d. Both are dear at Monmouth and Liverpool ; 

 at Stafford, where the prices are 24*. i{d. and 47*. 6\d. ; and at 

 Wallingford, $is. i\d. and 42*. In London the prices are 26s. Bd. 

 and 36*. nd. Generally the great discrepancy between the prices of 



