A HISTORY OF HERTFORDSHIRE 



and masons' work, the water carriage and the casting of bells.*' In 1682 a 

 single carpenter paid the carpenters and masons and supplied the materials."' 

 At Ayot St. Lawrence in 1772 a 'workman and artificer' estimated for the 

 work of carpenters, plumbers, glaziers, blacksmiths and painters." 



Modern Hertfordshire has accepted much from the past. The shire is 

 still mainly agricultural. Much land is let in arable farms averaging about 

 250 acres. Fifteen years ago the acreage under wheat and corn was 

 shrinking, but the cultivation of oats was increasing.'' Easy transport to 

 the London markets protected the Hertfordshire farmer to some extent ; but 

 the fall in the price of grain has not been balanced by decreased cost of 

 production. Declining profits have enforced considerable reductions of 

 agricultural rents.^^ 



Nevertheless, in 1908 50,661 acres were under wheat, 21,381 under 

 barley and 39,316 under oats.'^ 



The innovations in agriculture have taken place in the south and along 

 the railways. Dairy farms have been begun, but the want of pasture can 

 only be overcome by growing the feed on the arable.'" Poultry and pigs 

 and vegetables are also raised for the London market. 



Agricultural labour is said to be fairly plentiful and good, but it bears 

 a smaller ratio to the population than it must have done formerly. In 1861 

 the agriculturists were only 25 per cent, of the whole.'" 



In 1895 wages in the northern part of the shire were 12s. a week and 

 had been as high as 14J." In the next few years the winter wages rose 

 about IS. to I3J-. The suirmer wages rose by about as much ; they varied 

 from lis. round Royston to 15J. round Watford.'* 



The Hertfordshire towns have grown but very little in size in the last 

 forty years. The population of Hertford has increased by 2,153 persons 

 only." Hitchin has now 10,072 inhabitants, Barnet and Bishop's Stortford 

 a little above 7,000. Hemel Hempstead, on the other hand, has over 

 11,000, and St. Albans has more than doubled the 8,200 inhabitants of 

 1871.'*' 



London is affecting Berkhampstead, St. Albans, Bushey, Watford and the 

 Lea Valley, and will probably do so more and more. It is in these regions 

 that the population is increasing most rapidly. But the garden city, in the 

 extreme north, shows how long the arm of London is. Planned for those 

 who work in town, Letchworth is an interesting antithesis to Herringsgate. 



Hertfordshire has developed in one new direction. The comparative 

 cheapness of land and the ease of transport have fostered various new 

 industries. There are many factories in the southern part of the shire. It 

 may be with these that the future of the county will lie. 



89 Sess. R. (Herts. Co. Rec), i, 159 ; cf. 264. ^ Ibid. 339. " Ibid, ii, 125. 



82 Par/. Papers (1895), C. 7691, xvi, 79. '' Ibid. '>* Accts. and Papers (1908), ncxi, i 30-1 



9' Pari. Papers (1895), C. 7691, xvi, 79. "^ Accts. and Papers (1868-9) (4'97)> xxviii, 245. 



" Pari. Papers (1895), C. 7691, xvi, 79. »* Accts. and Papers (1899), xci, 127. 



99 Pari. Papers (1878-9), C. 2372, xxviii, 409. «* Ibid. 



232 



