CROPS AND THEIR COST 203 



men to use them ? Deduct from agriculture all the practices 

 that have made it flourishing in this island, and you have pre- 

 cisely the management of small farms.' In 1868 the Report 

 of the Commissio7i on the Agriculture of France ^ agreed with 

 Young, noting the grave consequences of the excessive sub- 

 division of land, loss of time, waste of labour, difficulties in rota- 

 tion of crops, and of liberty of cultivation. 



For stocking an arable farm of 70 acres Young considered 

 the following expenditure necessary, the items of which give us 

 interesting information as to prices about 1770: — 



Rent, tithe, and town charges for first year . . 70 o o 



Household furniture 30 o o 



Wagon 25 o o 



Cart with ladders 1200 



Tumbril . . . 10 o o 



Roller for broad lands (of wood) . . . .200 

 „ narrow „ „ .... i 15 o 



Cart harness for 4 horses 8 17 o 



Plough „ „ 2 16 o 



2 ploughs 300 



A pair of harrows I 1 5 o 



Screen, bushel, fan, sieves, forks, rakes, &c. . .800 



Dairy furniture 300 



20 sacks 2 10 o 



4 horses 32 o o 



Wear and tear, and shoeing one year . . .1300 

 Keep of 4 horses from Michaelmas to May Day, @ 



IS. 6d. each a week 14 o o 



5 cows 20 o o 



20 sheep 5 ID o 



One sow '5° 



One servant's board and wages for one year . . 15 o o 



A labourer's wages for one year . . . . 20 o o 



Seed for first year, 42 acres, ® IIJ. 6rt?. . . . 24 3 o 



Harvest labour i 10 o 



;^326 II o 



Or nearly £^ an acre. 



* See Parliamentary Reports Commission (1881), xvi. 260- 



