xii CONTENTS 



CHAPTER X. 



LARGE FARMS AND CAPITALIST FARMERS. 

 1780-1813. 



Agricultural enthusiasm at the close of the eighteenth century ; high prices 

 of agricultural produce ; the causes of the advance ; increased demand 

 and cessation of foreign supplies ; the state of the currency ; rapid advance 

 of agriculture on the new lines of capitalist farming ; impulse given to 

 enclosing movement and the introduction of improved practices ; Davy'g 

 Lectures on Agricultural Chemistry ; the work of large landlords : Coke 

 of Norfolk. Pp. 207-223 



CHAPTER XI. 



OPEN-FIELD FARMS AND PASTURE COMMONS 

 1793-1815. 



Condition of open-field arable land and pasture commons as described by the 

 Reporters to the Board of Agriculture, 1793-1815; (1) The North and 

 North- Western District ; (2) West Midland and South-Western District ; 

 (3) South-Eastern and Midland District ; (4) Eastern and North-Eastern 

 District ; (5) the Fens ; the cumulative effect of the evidence ; procedure 

 under private Enclosure Acts ; its defects and cost ; the General enclosure 

 Act of 1801 ; the Inclosure Commissioners ; the new Board of Agriculture. 



Pp. 224-252 



CHAPTER XII. 



THE ENGLISH CORN LAWS. 



Difficulty in deciding on the good or bad influence of the Corn Laws > restric- 

 tions on home as well as on foreign trade in corn ; gradual abandonment of 

 the attempt to secure just prices by legislation ; means adopted to steady 

 prices ; prohibition both of exports and of imports : the bounty on home- 

 grown corn ; the system established in 1670 and 1689 lasts till 1815 ; its 

 general effect ; influence of seasons from 1689 to 1764, and from 1765 to 

 1815 ; difficulty of obtaining foreign supplies during the Napoleonic wars ; 

 practical monopoly in the home market : small margin of home supply 

 owing to growth of population ; exaggerated effect on prices of good or 

 bad harvests ; protection after 1815 ; demand by agriculturists for fair 

 profits ; changed conditions of supply ; repeal of the Corn Laws, 1846. 



Pp. 253-274 



