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president’s address. 
The country passed through a long period of war, and provisions 
reached a famine price, accompanied by great distress. In 
December, 1795, according to the ‘Norwich Remembrancer,’ wheat 
sold in Norwich market for 112s. per quarter; in 1796 it reached 
126s. per quarter, and fine flour 70s. per sack; in 1800 it varied 
from 120s. to 150s. per quarter, and flour reached Ills, per sack ; 
in January, 1801, wheat sold at 146s., in February of the same 
year, 168s., in March, ISOs., which appears to be the highest price 
recorded, and in the following June it had fallen to 120s. per 
quarter. In the ten years ending 1820, the average was still 87s. 
per quarter, from which time it has been steadily declining till the 
present day, when it probably does not pay to grow.* 
With such high prices there was, of course, the strongest 
inducement to utilise every inch of land, and wastes were brought 
into cultivation which, under the then existing circumstances 
greatly enriched the farmer, but which in the present day can only 
be worked at a loss, and will doubtless soon revert to the warren 
and sheep walks from which they were reclaimed, that is if the 
scanty grass can be induced to re-establish itself on the blowing 
sand which it formerly held together. 
There is an interesting passage in De Foe’s ‘ Tour through Great 
Britain’ (1769), which must call up very regretful feelings in the 
breasts of Norfolk Fanners of the present day : — “All the country 
from Holkham to Houghton,” says he, “ was a wild sheep walk, 
before the Spirit of Improvement seized its inhabitants; and this 
glorious spirit has wrought amazing effects ; for, instead of 
boundless Wilds and uncultivated Wastes, inhabited by scarce any 
thing but Sheep, the country is all cut into Inclosures, cultivated 
* In the discussion which followed the reading of this address, Mr. J. T. 
Hotblack called attention to the curious fact that the recent average of 
wheat in Norwich market has been 12s. a coomb of 18 stone, or £5 6s. 8d. 
per ton, whilst at the same time bran has been selling at £6 6s. per ton. 
Thus the farmer has had to give £1 per ton more for the offal than he has 
been able to obtain for the fine corn ; in fact, the bran lias been worth nearly 
as much, weight for weight, as the flour. Hay has been selling at £8 per ton, 
which is half as much again as the value of a ton of fine wheat, and more 
than the cost of an equal weight of the best bread. 
