LABOUR AND WAGES. 645 



mowing an acre in the first period is is. 1\d., in the second 

 nearly is. ?d., so that we must infer that for the last period at 

 least the notices are too few for an accurate inference, or that 

 there was no rise in the price of the service. 



Much more instructive is mowing by the day. This in the 

 first sixty years is nearly io\d. a day, or, to be quite accurate, 

 5^. id. a week. In the second it is over is. 5J</. a day, or 

 Ss. 8d. a week. This again more than represents the pro- 

 portionate rise to which I have often referred, being 70 per 

 cent, increase. The later entries are from Hurley in Berks, 

 and are always at is. 6d. a day, or gs. a week. Haymaking 

 is paid at 8d. a day in 1619, at lod. in 1623 (women &/.), at 

 lod. in 1623, at is. in 1678 and 1691. Pitching and binding 

 hay is at lod. in 1608, making hay by the acre at is. 6d. in 

 1621, while making a ten-load rick of hay costs los. 6d. 

 in 1683. 



Most of my entries of the wages paid for reaping by the 

 acre are early, and nearly all from Gawthorp. In 1583, 1586, 

 1597 and 1604, the wages paid for reaping an acre of oats, 

 barley, and mixtil is 3^. 4^.; in 1589 and 1617, barley 

 and oats cost $s. %d.\ in 1618, wheat is 35. $\d.\ in 1700, 4^. 

 The last two are at Northiam in Sussex and Foxcombe 

 in Hants. These prices seem to be comparatively high. 

 They include binding as well as reaping. In 1699 cutting 

 wheat (the instrument not specified) is is. ^d. an acre at 

 Foxcombe, and in 1700, 2s. ^d. at the same place. At 

 the same place 'harvesting* is paid at is. a day, and in 1700 

 cutting and raking at is. 4d. But this may be, probably is, 

 for cutting stubble. It is a little above ordinary agricultural 

 wages, but not I think up to harvest payments. 



There are several entries of washing and shearing sheep by 

 the score between 1587 and 1601, and one in the last year but 

 one. The two places which give information in the earlier 

 period are Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, and the 

 price paid is generally lower at the latter than at the former. 

 An average of sixteen entries gives nd. the score. The last 



