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NOTES AND QUERIES
Thus, even with a large family in a poor upland village, 1 acre would suffice to keep the family alive assuming no run of bad harvests. Where steady opportunities for casual labouring or cash enterprises (eg fishings, woodcutting) existed, the family could get by on even less; perhaps in most circumstances families could survive with 25% less than these figures, since some opportunities for cash income clearly existed at most times.
Crown Rent
Was charged at the rate $3 per 0.01 acre for 1st class, $2 per 0.01 acre for 2nd class and $1 for 0.01 acre 3rd class. 1st class was most land in valley villages (eg. best and average land in Tai Wai) and best land in upland villages. 2nd class was used for definitely poor land in valley villages and average land in upland villages, 3rd class was poor land anywhere. 1st class land therefore Crown Rent = $52.5 for 1 tau, for 2nd class land $35. for 3rd class land $17.5 assuming 0.175 acres per tau. Given purchase rice price of $2 per catty, this implies, (1st class land), Crown Rent equivalent to purchase price of 26¼ catties. If sale price of hulled white rice is taken, at $1, this is equivalent to 52.5 catties. Average land at Tai Wai would be first class for Crown Rent, yield 5 piculs per year, reduced to 3.75 piculs after hulling etc. Thus Crown Rent 14% of total crop. For best land, 52.5 catty equivalent, Crown Rent against total crop of 5.38 piculs = 10%. 2nd class land, Crown Rent at sale price of price = 35 catty per tau. If average land at Wong Chuk Yeung is assumed to be 2nd class, then 35 catty Crown Rent for total crop of 2.33 piculs = 15% of total crop.
However, in addition to the Crown Rent for the agricultural lands, the fields had to bear the Crown Rent of houses each house paid $50.
For a basic family requirement viz.
- Tai Wai good average land, small family 2.5 tau plus one house, each tau would have to bear $20 of house Crown Rent, making total Crown Rent per tau 52.5 + 20 = 72.5 = sale price 72.5 catty which equals 19% of total crop sale value. Tai Wai best land, small family 1.6 tau plus one house, each tau would have to bear $31.25 of house Crown Rent, making total Crown Rent per 1 tau 52.5 + 31.25 = 83.75 = sale price of 83.75 catty which equals 12% of total crop sale value. Wong Chuk Yeung good average land small family 3.6 tau plus one house each tau would have to bear $14 of house Crown Rent, making total Crown Rent per tau $35 + 14 = 49 sale price of 49 catty which equals 20% of total crop sale value. Thus the burden of Crown Rent