234 



Agriculture during Two Great Wars. [june,. 



Throughout the whole war period, seasons were adverse rather 

 than favourable. Fourteen of the 22 were deficient, and, out 

 of that number, eight (1795, 1797, 1799, 1800, 1809 — 10, 11, 12) 

 were more or less disastrous. Six of the harvests produced 

 average yields. Only , two (1796 and 1813) were exceptionally 

 fine and abundant. Bad years caused real scarcity. Twice 

 (1799 and 18 12) there was a dearth that almost amounted to 

 famine. It was only in 18 13 that the effect of the improved 

 cultivation and increased productiveness of the soil was fully 

 felt. The surplus of the harvest affected prices in the cereal 

 years both of 18 14 and 1815. 



The Government did not attempt to control prices, or ration 

 food. They probably relied on the high prices to check extra- 

 vagance in the use of a scanty stock. Instead of cheapening 

 bread by a subsidy from the taxpayer, they subsidised labour 

 through the Poor Law. They not only legislated against trade 

 combinations (1800), but, instead of trying to fix minimum 

 wages, a Committee of ParHament reported (1808) that the 

 proposal was inadmissible in principle, and in 18 13 the law 

 empowering justices to fix rates of wages was repealed. But 

 the Government did endeavour to meet the scarcity of bread 

 by some of the other methods with which vve have been recently 

 familiar. In 1795, for instance, stocks in hand were known to 

 be short, and only 300,000 qr. of wheat could be obtained from 

 abroad. The winter of 1794-5 had been exceptionally severe. 

 A frost which began in December lasted tiU the middle of March. 

 A cold, backward spring was succeeded by a wet and stormy 

 summer. Though magnificent harvest weather temporarily 

 raised hopes, the crop proved to be very deficient. The gloomy 

 prospects were referred to in the King's speech of 29th October, 

 1795- Wheat at Michaelmas, 1795, stood at 92s. per qr. ; at 

 the foUov/ing Lady Day it had risen to 96s. 



Official Action during: the Napoleonic War.— A Select Committee 

 of the House was appointed to inquire into the scarcity, and 

 measures were taken for its alleviation. By way of example, 

 Members of Parliament bound themselves to reduce con- 

 sumption in their ov/n houses by one-third. The imposition of 

 the Hair Powder Tax killed the fashion of plastering the head 

 with flour. Bakers were authorised to use other ingredients than 

 com, provided that bread so mixed was stamped with " M." 

 Privy Councillors and Aldermen tried to set the fashion of eating 

 the coarsest forms of bread. But their eftorts were only partially 

 successful. The people clung tenaciously to the finest and 

 whitest wheaten loaf. So severe was the scarcity that some 



