30 AN INTRODUCTION TO ENGLISH RURAL HISTORY 



This Act provided for the levying of a compulsory poor- 

 rate in every parish. Relief was to be administered to 

 the needy, incapable of earning a living ; and able-bodied 

 persons were to be provided with work. The Act further 

 provided for the punishment of idlers and for the careful 

 training of poor children in some craft. 



Employers found that by keeping wages as low as pos- 

 sible, labourers could be made to seek poor-relief: thus 

 the whole parish would share with the employer what 

 should have been done by him alone, namely, the payment 

 of a " living-wage." 



Improvements in Agriculture. 



About the middle of the sixteenth century, a " slump " 

 in sheep-farming came about. Other countries had begun 

 to produce large quantities of good wool, and Flanders 

 had ceased to be the only country famous for weaving. 

 Many Flemings and Dutch had migrated to England, 

 and from them the English had acquired textile skill. 

 Moreover, the population of England had been steadily 

 increasing : hence more food was required. It thus became 

 almost as profitable to grow corn as to produce wool. 

 Enclosuring of land continued, therefore, chiefly with 

 the object of securing more plough-land. 



Owing to the advent of Flemish and Dutch refugees 

 into England, agriculture improved. Crops hitherto un- 

 known in this country began to be cultivated. Vegetables 

 such as carrots, cabbages, and celery received the attention 

 of English cottagers. The introduction of root crops was 

 a great boon to the farmer. It then became possible to 

 keep oxen in larger numbers throughout the winter. This 

 was of great benefit to the health of the people who were 

 no longer compelled to subsist almost entirely on salt 

 meats. The " fallow " land was also utilized for the growth 

 of roots, instead of leaving it bare each third year as had 

 been the custom. Hops were also introduced by the 

 Flemings ; and, as a result, the brewing industry was so 

 improved that beer became the national beverage. 



Progress was made, too, in the mode of cultivation. 

 More capital was expended on the land : hence the breed 

 of horses and cattle was improved. These improvements 

 caused a greater number of labourers to be required on 

 the farms and so drew back some of the men who had been 

 driven away on account of the sheep-farming boom. 



