286 HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE 



100 %, the average wheat crop 14 %, while the price of bread / 

 had decreased 16 %. But meat had increased 70 %, wool; 

 over 100 %, butter 100 %. The chief benefit to the farmer 

 therefore lay in the increased value of live stock and its pro- 

 ducts, and it was found then, as in the present depression, 

 that the holders of strong wheat land suffered most, which 

 was further illustrated by the fact that the rent of the corn- 

 growing counties of the east coast averaged 23^. %d. per acre ; 

 that of the mixed corn and grass counties in the midlands 

 and west, 31 s. $d. 



Writing in 1847, Porter said rents had doubled since 1 790. l 

 In Essex farms could be pointed out which were let in 1790 

 at less than ics. an acre, but during the war at from 4$s. to 

 5oj. In 1818 the rent went down to 355., and in 1847 w * s 2OJ> - 



In Berks, and Wilts, farms let at 14*. per acre in 1790, rose 

 by 1810 to 70^., or fivefold ; sank in 1820 to 50^.. and in 1847 

 to 30^. In Staffordshire farms on one estate let for 8j. an 

 acre in 1790, rose during the war to 35^., and at the peace 

 were lowered to 20^., at which price they remained. Owing 

 to better farming light soils had been applied to uses for 

 which heavy lands alone had formerly been considered fit, 

 with a considerable increase of rent. 



On the Duke of Rutland's 2 Belvoir estate, of from 18,000 to 

 20,000 acres of above average quality, rents were in 



1799 . . . 19^. 3f^. an acre. 



1812 . . . 25^. 8|^. 



1830 . . . 25 s. ild. 



1850 . . . 36*. %d. 



But the Dukes of Rutland were indulgent landlords and 

 evidently took no undue advantage of the high prices during 

 the war, a policy whose wisdom was fully justified afterwards. 

 It was the opinion of most competent judges, even after the 

 abolition of the Corn Laws, that English land would continue 



1 Progress of the Nation, p. 151. 



2 Thorold Rogers, History of Agriculture and Prices, v. 29. 



