vi Preface 



Commerce," and Professor Ashley's " Economic His- 

 tory." For the later evidence I have used greatly 

 various papers in i\\Q Journal of the Royal Statistical 

 Society, by Major Craigie, Mr. Wilson Fox, and 

 others ; the two Reports on Agricultural Wages 

 by the latter writer ; the Reports of the last two 

 Commissions on Agricultural Depression (published 

 in 1882 and 1897), and finally, the general Report 

 of the last Census (1901). 



As the main object was to give a general view, 

 I have avoided detailed references. 



Mr. A. B. Clark, M.A., my Assistant and Lecturer 

 in Economics in the University, has kindly revised 

 and corrected the proofs, 



J. SHIELD NICHOLSON. 



University of Edinburgh, 

 September, 1906. 



