Agricultural Wages 123 



in London has been higher than in the 

 provincial towns which are in closer 

 connection with agriculture. 



Another general result is also of interest. 

 Low as were the wages of men, the wages 

 of women in agriculture were still lower. 

 Thorold Rogers shows that from 1260 to 

 1702 the wages paid to women in agri- 

 culture were about half the wages paid to 

 the men. 



The researches of Vicomte d'Avenel have 

 made available still more ample material 

 for the history of the wages of women in 

 France, and he has drawn some very 

 interesting conclusions. It is well known 

 that the poorer the masses of the people 

 so much the more necessary is it for women 

 to engage in work for wages. By the 

 influence of custom also — the custom in 

 the last resort being due to the superior 

 economic strength of the men — most of the 



