[1461] Before we have gone through a tenth of the account of Essex, we have read of ‘wood for’ near 10,000 pigs. If the woods were full and this rate were maintained throughout the country, the swine of England would be as numerous T. R. W. as they now are. No doubt Essex was exceptionally wooded and many woods were understocked; still this mode of reckoning the capacity of wood-land would only occur to men who were accustomed to see large herds.
[1462] In the thirteenth century it is common to find that the acre of meadow is deemed to be twice or three times as valuable as the best arable acre of the same village, and a much higher ratio is sometimes found.
[1463] This appears from the parallel account of Westley given in D. B. and Inq. Com. Cant. (p. 19) where ‘pratum 2 bobus’ = ‘2 ac. prati.’ Entries such as the following are not uncommon (I. C. C. p. 13): ‘Terra est 4 car.; in dominio est una et villani habent 3 car. Pratum 1 car.’ See Morgan, op. cit. 53–5.
[1464] Eyton, Dorset, 146.
[1465] In the above table all vaccae, animalia and animalia ociosa are reckoned in the third column. I believe that the two last of these terms cover all beasts of the bovine race that are not beasts of the plough. The horses are mostly runcini and are kept for agricultural purposes. It may be doubted whether destriers and palfreys are enumerated.
[1466] Rot. Hund. ii. 570, 575. The calculation which gave these results was laborious; but I believe that they are pretty correct.
[1467] On the whole, the valet of D. B., so far as it is precise, seems to me an answer to the question, What rent would a firmarius pay for this estate stocked as it is? But there are many difficulties.
[1468] See the important but difficult account of the mill at Arundel: D. B. i. 23.
[1469] Hall, Court Life, 221–3. The Glastonbury Inquests (Roxburgh Club) show that 36d. is the settled price for the ox.
[1470] Rogers, Hist. Agric. i. 226, 342.