484 ON THE PRICE OF MATERIALS. 



1583-1592 ... \s.4t\d. 1633-1642 ... is. %d. 



1593-1602 ... is. 4^. 1643-1652 ... is. $d. 



1603-1612 ... is. $d. 1653-1662 ... is. yd. 



1613-1622 ... is. $\d. 1663-1672 ... is. icd. 



1623-1632 ... is. 4{d. 1693-1702 ... is. 4d. 



The general average therefore is a little over is. 

 Lath nails appear to have been about the size and about the 

 price of what are commonly quoted as three- penny nails. 



The next commonest entry is of nails designated by pence. 

 They range from the largest, twenty-four pence, to the 

 smallest, two-pence, and once (1593) a penny. Originally this 

 appears to have been the price by the hundred, but as time 

 goes on the article is sold at rates varying from the original 

 designation. The largest kind of nails are generally bought 

 by the hundred, the less by the thousand. Sometimes the 

 nails are specified by their length three-inch, two-and-a-half 

 inch, one-and-a-half inch, and inch. One also reads still of 

 brods, clout nails, bushel nails, lead nails (which had I 

 suppose broad heads), and reparation nails. Lastly, nails are 

 quoted without any reference to their size and destination. 

 In earlier times the names given to the different kinds were 

 exceedingly numerous. 



In 1645 and 1653 nails are bought by weight, and it seems 

 likely that the price by weight is fairly significant of the size 

 of the article. In the first year the price is $\d. the pound, 

 in the second 6d. It is true that these two entries are in the 

 dear time. But I should conclude that occasional, or even 

 continuous high prices of iron would have less effect on the 

 price of nails than on any other iron produce. The article 

 was in constant demand, was within the skill of every smith, 

 was regularly kept in store by him (as I can well remember 

 before the days of machine-made nails), was a bye-product of 

 his craft when he was not engaged in any definite work, and 

 was manufactured from scrap iron, the better for being old 

 and worn. Such conditions of an industry tend to keep the 

 price steady and to keep it low. I should expect that nails 



