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Ferd Corn
 
 
  Scottish Weights and Measures: Ferd Corn

What was meant by 'ferd corn' or 'third corn'?

The ferd corn (literally 'the fourth corn'), and the third corn were estimates of the value of a measure of grain sown, that is, they multiplied the value of the amount sown to take account of the eventual yield.

The example below comes from the inventory of a seventeenth century testament:

image showing example of the phrase 'ferd corne'

Extract from 17th century testament showing use of the phrase 'ferd corne'. The text reads:
thrie f[irlottis] beir estimat to the ferd corne pryce of the
boll with the fodder v li~ Inde xv li~ . . .

That is:
in the barnyard the sowing of 10 firlots oats estimated to the third corn ( X 3 ) = 30 firlots (that is, 7.5 bolls) @ £3 6 shillings and 4 pence per boll (including fodder) = £25
and the sowing of 3 firlots barley estimated to the ferd corn ( X 4 ) = 12 firlots (that is, 3 bolls) @ £5 per boll (including fodder) = £15

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