MINOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. 317 



same price. French or kidney beans are also found at the 

 later part of the period among garden seeds in London 

 purchases. But without giving any locality, garden beans are 

 found at 32 s. in 1631, at 96^. in 1645, and at 30^. in 1693. 



In 1691 a quarter of buckwheat is purchased at Farnham 

 for I2s. 



MUSTARD-SEED, ETC. Including Houghton's entries of 

 London prices for four years, mustard-seed is priced for 

 sixty-three years out of the whole period. But the evidence 

 is very unequally distributed. For the first twenty years there 

 is no gap. In the next decade three years are missing, in the 

 fourth decade four, in the fifth two, in the sixth two. Most of 

 these prices come from King's College, Cambridge. From this 

 date 1642 there is no entry till 1680. In this decade, the 

 tenth, there are two entries. In the eleventh three are 

 wanting, the entries being now mainly from Oxford. In the 

 twelfth there are four absent. 



There is no article the rise in the price of which is so marked 

 as that of mustard is. In 1583 and 1585 it is zzs. the quarter, 

 in 1587 it is i6s., the lowest price recorded during the period, 

 and indeed for long before, since from 1540 to 1582 the 

 average was 2$s. ^d. Upon this average however a consider- 

 able rise is effected in the first decade. A slight further rise 

 appears in the second decade, the dearest years of this being 

 1596 and 1598, the cheapest 1602. During the next forty 

 years the rise is considerable, in contrast with the first twenty, 

 some thirty-five per cent. Then comes the interval of three 

 decades, when from a general average of 48 s. io}< for the first 

 sixty years we find one of 94^. %d. in the last thirty. 



The Cambridge Fellows ground their own mustard, and the 

 King's College accounts supply me with entries of mustard 

 querns, purchased for the kitchen use. But the Fellows of 

 Magdalen College, Oxford, purchased mustard meal. Of this 

 article between 1588 and 1641, when the record ceases, 

 because the kitchen sauces are lumped, there are forty-nine 

 entries. In the first two of these the price of the meal is 



