LAWS OF THE FERTILITY OF WOMEN. 



305 



only it is necessary to mention, that in this Table there are no actual values to 

 keep it close to the truth. Taking, then, Table IX. as giving actual values, we 

 have the fertilities for 1855 ; or for twelve months. But as 20 months has been 

 shown to be the average time-unit of fertility, the fertilities of 1855 must be 

 increased in like proportion ; for as 12 is to 20, so are the fertilities given in 

 Table IX. to the real fertilities. All the fertile women cannot be presumed to 

 have shown that quality in 12 months, but all may be presumed to have shown 

 it in 20 months. In this way, the following Table (XV.) may be held as an 

 estimate of the comparative amount of fertility in living children, shown by wives 

 at different epochs of married life. 



The Table shows a gradually diminishing amount of perseverance in fertility 

 as age advances. In illustration of the mode of reading it, I may state that 

 about a half of all wives are fertile at the fifth year of married life ; more than a 

 third are fertile at the tenth year of married life ; and only a fifth part of the 

 whole wives arrived at the fifteenth year of married life are fertile, and so on. 



Another interesting result is got from this Table (XV.), by comparing the dif- 

 ferent horizontal columns with one another. Reading the figures of adjacent 

 columns obliquely from below upwards, we have a comparison of the fertility of 

 a mass of wives of the same age, but of quinquennial differences of duration of 

 marriage. And it is very interesting to observe that the younger married closely 

 approach in fertility those married five years later in life, both being arrived at 

 the same year of life at the time of the comparison. 



Short and Sussmilch maintain that early marriages are not favourable to the 

 population. But, so far as I know, they adduce no satisfactory evidence what- 

 ever for their belief. Yet they have considerable authority on their side, includ- 

 ing the redoubtable Sadler, who arrays in his support the venerable names of 

 Aristotle, of Plato, of Virgil, and of Plutarch. 



TABLE XIII. — Fertility of Wives in the Twentieth Yeae or Married Life. 



Ages at Jhild- bearing, .... 



35-39 



40-44 



45-49 



Total. 





477 



1171 



649 



2297 



Number of Wives Mothers, . 



56 



80 



5 



141 



Number Child bearing, 1 in . . 



8-5 



14-6 



1298 



16-3 



TABLE XIV. — Fertility of Wives in the Twenty- Fifth Year of Married Life. 



Ages at Child-bearing, .... 



40-44 



45-49 



Total. 



Number of Wives Mothers, . . 

 Number of Child-bearing, 1 in . 



408 



6 



68-0 



961 

 2 



480-5 



1396 



8 

 171-0 



