The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-25


OF the industrial and social facts here brought
together to the two centuries which elapsed
bstveen the Conquest and the first Plantag-
enet, with whose accession the present vol
ume ends.
II iswell known that for the beginning OF
the two centuries under review we have II
Trustworthy account OF agricultural conditions
in Domcsday Book. and in fuller detail in tho
Hundred Rolls. the latter. however. not dis
playing their com pleted form until the close
OF the thirteenth century. We learn
from Domesday Book that England was al
ready, at tho time OF the Conquest. divided
up into manors. each manor containing both
the lords own land ldcmesnel and william hold
inGs. Villains made up tho great bulk ot the
population. FREQ tenants were scarce. save In
the eastern counties AMI eastern midlands.
and 1t seems more natural to suppose that
they represented 4 survival OF the ancient
freedom In these districts. invigorated
by Danish settlements. than that they
had only lately sprung into existence. Inc
number OF veritabe slaves was small. some
25.UOO aud these chiefly In the souihwes.
Tho VILLAINS proper. with a normal holding OF
yardland Thirty acres. or half a yardland were
distinguished from the lower william class OF
bordaril or cottie.s. who ws:o named as holding
sometimes only n Gotta 20 and garden. some
times Tut n cottage and \ few acres. not often
moro than i've. in the common arabic nelds.
The normal VILLAIN would contribute q rair OF
oxen to the common plough; tho cottier had
no oxen OF his own. The lords plough oil
eight oxer. which Tiled tho Gemesne. was
worked by tho services OF the villans these.
moreover. had often to do service with their
own ploughs and oxen. All this imnlies
great number 81 cattle. for which there
WAS amfIs PASTURE. such as IL was. Hay
meadows were comparatively rare and vaiu-
able. Woodland on the other hand. was
plentiful. aud was measured Ivy The number
Of swine II could feed. 1t has been estimated
that rs much M 5OOO.UOo acres were under
cultivation. about !ivr-twclfths OF the present
cultivated area. This would tally with the
population which has been computed at about
2OUOUuO. Ii would also agree with the cacu-
latinn that nearly one halt>of tho cultivated
area was devoted to wheat. and that the pro-
duction OF wheat averaged about one-Iuarter
to the acre. Besides leEumenous crops good
deal OF barley and oats aud some rs" was
grown while tho absence of root erors or any
systematic munu:lng implies great extent
OF flllow. perhaps nearly one-thir'l OF tho
total ural,i, area. II is hard to realize how
essentially this whole arrangement Of rural
life differed from that Of modern times. The
great mass OF i've agricultural population In
England are now !andless: In the eleysn'h ana
twelfth, Rnd. inireL. down to the ssvonteenth
and eighteenth centuries. they were iHud own
ers Tenant farmers. whether on leases or on
yearly agreements. were very uncommon en-
cept ON some church estate. The relation be-
tween gentry and ppasantry is now mainly an
economic relation: In the age under review, II
wAs first and foremost, II ascial and political
relation. The william hal 10 SIT in his lords
court ~ justice and follow him to war, as well
as ill his land. The two were hound together
by mutual obligations; tho lord could no
more dispossesz tue william. whatever I'M
real mAxims the contemporary law books
chose to ennunce. Than the william could
shake OF his lord and escape from the
manor. To q modern mind. however til" most
striking feature Is the universal prevalence OF
community in cultivation II not in ownership
in medlsval England. u village was. in truth
one large. common farm. To take the most
typical case. each OF the three arabic FIELDS
was open 1t was not enclosed or broken up
into sevsralties. hut only roughly marked on
by turf into acre strips, Of which every nth
strip might be the lords. every tenth the par
sons and so on. The whole field would be
pIoughed. narrowed. sowed, and rsaped BY
the Joint laLeT OF all the holders. Zach con-
tTibuted according tn customary rule his
share OF the labor, the oXen. and the cost OF the
plouKh 4 Villains holding OF thirty acres
might thus consist Of thirty detached strips
scattered over whole rarish. such a system
was ofeourss wasteful but II had grown III I'M
der needs with which economies had nothing
taAo. II was the natural outcome OF still
Tuder methoi. to wit. an annual reallotment
oTthe arabic strips ii was the expression OF the
old sense o. klnshiP In the village community,
and its eumLrousnsss Was the result OF a
determined effort TO secure the absolute equal
ity Of each share. IL must have had an i'm
measurable influence in silently moulding
English character aud In drilling men in
local self. government. No doubt such a sys-
tenn helped to account for the low productivity
OF medieval agriculture. This and the impsr-
feet means of communication and conveyance
explain the great variations in prices which
prevailed even in nsighbOring markets. There
was evidently frequent local scarcity, even
when there was no general bad season, No
fewer than nIns years OF dearth. however. are
recorded 10 the contemporary Anglo-saxon
ehroaIelss between 1910 and hoo. The only
operation We hear mueh Of for permanent i'm
proVement Of the land was marliBg On the
other hand. orchards were common; con-
adorable quantity OF native vine Was made
a ~ l.