654 LABOUR AND WAGES. 



that is cutting down a neglected hedge, is Sd. a pole in 1607 ; 

 hedging by the day, between 1648 and 1701, is pretty 

 uniformly is. A good workman would therefore hedge more 

 than four poles a day, and as the average of a ditcher's wages 

 between 1658 and 1696 was a little over is. $d. a day, or, to 

 be precise, Js. Jd. a week, I conclude that he could perhaps do 

 three poles a day by piece. Diggin'g by the pole in 1692 is 

 6d., and the same by the yard, of course cubic. 



The record of hedging and ditching by the pole is fuller 

 than that of hedging, and exhibits far greater varieties, for the 

 price by the pole is higher in 1598 than it is in 1701, though 

 the year 1598 contains also the lowest entry. The rate is as 

 high as is. and as low as 3<, for the work to be done when 

 the labourer was engaged varied exceedingly, and the price to 

 be paid was settled by special bargain. The average from 

 thirty-eight entries is nearly Jd. 



Another kind of piece-work by the pole is frequently found 

 in the later part of the period. This is the construction of 

 pales for a fence. The price of this labour is uniformly a 

 shilling. 



Common or unskilled labour analogous to what has been 

 already described is levelling, at is. a day; spreading dung in 

 1648, is., in 1669, lid. ; laying in coal in 1659 at is. ; strewing 

 gravel in 1631 at is.; fixing posts in 1645 at icd. ; weeding 

 at is. in 1652, lod. in 1655, and is. id. in 1668 ; setting quick- 

 sets at is. in 1667. 



Hewing timber is paid at is. 6d. the load in 1601 ; at is. zd. 

 and is. 4d. in 1635 ; at is. 4d. the ton in 1650 ; at is. $d. in 

 1653 and 1655 ; making lath-pins at 2s. 6d. a bushel in 1660 ; 

 cutting turf at is. 2d. a day in 1697, and laying in at is. in 

 1658. Squaring timber by the day is icd. and is. in 1584, 

 icd. in 1590, is. in 1593, anc * *cd. in 1596. It is therefore 

 paid nearly at the rate of artisan labour. 



In 1631 Caryll it seems determined to make or repair a 

 fishpond at Harting. He hires two kinds of labour, one at 

 is. 6d. a day and another at icd., the rate at which his 



