ENCLOSURES, 1770-1820 



69 



drew up the following table of the probable results of 

 enclosure : — 



Within the next half-century these predictions were 

 abundantly confirmed by results ; rents and production 

 were more than quadrupled, and farmers grew rich upon 

 war prices. 



In 1793 the Board of Agriculture was constituted, with 

 Sir John Sinclair as president, and Arthur Young as 

 secretary. The first object of the Board was to collect 

 information respecting the agriculture of the country. For 

 this purpose a series of questions were circulated among 

 farmers, many of which related to open common fields. At 

 the same time Commissioners drew up reports of the agri- 

 cultural conditions of each county. The facts collected 

 in these reports are invaluable to students of agricultural 

 history. They establish beyond all controversy the enor- 

 mous advantages of enclosed over open-field farms. Ten- 

 ants lived comfortably on enclosed land, rented at 10s. (jcl. 

 an acre, who had starved on open farms at 2s. 6d. an acre; 

 enclosed land was cheaper at 20.s'. than open land at 8.s. 

 The effect upon a district near Norwich of enclosures 

 and the Norfolk system has been already illustrated.^ 

 ' See p. 44. 



