A Statistical View Of European Rural Life, 1600-1800

Part I of Essay
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, the average European's diets varied greatly due to natural causes. Most peasants lived in unsanitary conditions, far away from conventional medical help, and would live in a single room with a large family. Most farmers were illiterat ....

Part II of Essay
.... In Zone III and IV, Germany, Switzerland, Scandinavia, Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary the yield ratios were very low, and from 1800-1820, they did not produce wheat, rye, or barley at all. Countries like England and the Netherlands had predictable weather patterns and were able to grow an abundance of crops. The farther East a country was, the lower its yield would be due to poor and unpredictable weather. The average European peasant's diet was poor and not sufficient to human needs. Most diets included bread, chee ....