35^ 



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 



with beer or cider 

 without beer or cider 



m 200 , 



544 



The annual average inclusive earnings of the labourer 

 himself were stated at 

 and of his wife and children 



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 

 1880^:— 



Cr. 



Wages 



Garden 



Extras 



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

 be practised. 



Contract Prices of Butcher's Meat per cwt. at Greenwich 

 Hospital, i 730-1 842.^ 



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

 * M^CuUoch, Commercial Dictionary (1852), p. 271. 



