356 



HISTORY OF AGRICULTURE 



In answer to inquiries sent by the Poor Law Commissioners in 1834 to 

 900 parishes in England the average weekly wages of labourers were 

 in summer, 



in winter, 



in 254 parishes, with beer or cider 

 522 without beer or cider 



s. 



IO 

 10 



d. 



with beer or cider 

 without beer or cider 



in 200 , 



544 

 The annual average inclusive earnings of the labourer 



himself were stated at ... 



and of his wife and children 



* d. 



27 17 10 



13 19 10 



41 17 8 



It will thus be seen that the wife and children provided a third 

 of the income. The majority of the parishes said the labourer could 

 maintain his family on these wages. 



Here is the weekly budget of a labourer with an average family in 



J0 1. 



1880 : 



Wages 



Garden 



Extras 



Cr. 



d. 



1\ 

 o 



6 



6 

 6 



3 

 6 

 6 



3 

 6 



17 6 ^8 4^ 



There is no fresh meat, and it is hard to say where any economy could 

 be practised. 



CONTRACT PRICES OF BUTCHER'S MEAT PER cwx. AT GREENWICH 

 HOSPITAL, I73o-i842. 2 



1 Parliamentary Reports, Commissioners (1881), xvi. 310. 



2 MCulloch, Commercial Dictionary (1852), p. 271. 



