Page:Economic History of Virginia Vol 1.djvu/557

 equalled or exceeded two thousand acres. The average area was six hundred and seventy-seven.

From the figures which I have given, it will be seen that from 1634 to 1650 inclusive, the average area of soil which was acquired by patents granted in that interval did not exceed four hundred and forty-six acres.

Let us now examine the patents which were sued out in the course of the last fifty years of the century. Owing to the enormous increase in the number issued, it would be too tedious to present a summary of each year, as has been done in the ease of the grants made previous to 1650. The calculation will now be confined to periods. From 1650 to 1655, the average size of the patents was five hundred and ninety-one acres. There were issued ninety-two patents ranging from one thousand to two thousand acres, forty-one from one thousand to five thousand, and three from five thousand to ten thousand. The average size of the patents in the interval between 1655 and 1666 was six hundred and seventy-one acres. In this interval, there were issued two hundred and fifty-two patents, ranging from one thousand to two thousand acres, one hundred and forty-seven from two thousand to five thousand, and twenty from five thousand to ten thousand. In the interval between 1666 and 1679, the average size of the patents was eight hundred and ninety acres. In this interval, there were issued two hundred and twenty patents, ranging from one thousand to two thousand acres, one hundred and fifty-four from two thousand to five thousand, twenty-five from five thousand to ten thousand, and twelve from ten thousand to twenty thousand.

In the interval between 1679 and 1689, the average size of the patents was six hundred and seven acres. In