BAD TIMES 179 



sell them to the soap-boilers, who came round to every farm 

 collecting them. This is the earliest mention in a Havvsted lease 

 of rye-grass, clover, and turnips, though clover and turnips 

 had been first cultivated there about 1700, and soon spread. 



The winter of 1708-9 was very severe, a great frost lasting 

 from October until the spring ; wheat was Sis. gd. a quarter, 

 and high prices lasted until 17 J 5.^ 



From 1 7 15 to 1765 was an era of good seasons and low 

 prices generally ; in that half-century Tooke says there were 

 only five bad seasons. In 1732 prices of corn were very low, 

 wheat being about 24s. a quarter, so that we are not surprised 

 [to find that its cultivation often did not pay at all.- At Little 

 Gadsden in Hertfordshire, in that year a fair season, and on 

 enclosed land, the following is the balance sheet for an acre : 



Dr. /; s. d. 



Rent . . . 12 o 



Dressing (manuring) 100 



2| bushels of seed 76 



Ploughing first time . . ^ . . . 60 



„ twice more 80 



Harrowing 6 



Reaping and carrying 6 6 



Threshing 39 



3 4 3 

 Cr. ~ 



1 5 bushels of wheat (a poor crop, as 20 £, s. d. 

 bushels was now about the average) .220 



Straw n 6 



2 13 6 



Loss . . . 10 9 



On barley, worth about ;^i a quarter, the loss was 3^. td. an 



^ Tooke, History of Prices^ '• 35« 

 ^ Wheat averaged : 



1718-22 about 27J. 1730 about 30J. 1750 about 30J. 



1724 „ 36J. 1732 „ 24J. 1755 » 35-f- 



1725 „ 46J. 1736 „ 30J. 1760 „ 38 J-. 



1726 „ 3SJ. 1740 „ 42J- 1765 >, 42J. 

 1728 „ S2J. 1744 „ 23J. 



N a 



