ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the scope and nature of the market for wheat, rice, and millet and field peas in Shensi between the years 1900 and 1910. The analysis of these markets centres on the differentials in prices over geographic areas for these grains. Prices in terms of taels were a convenient abstraction for any budgeting or accounting which had to straddle many different localities each with its differing cash currency. Criterion three is fulfilled in that the differentials between C/S rates and prices of wheat in towns for 180 km. One important consideration has been omitted from the previous argument which has been based entirely on typical prices extracted from an incomplete series covering ten years. The discussion of millet and field pea price levels closes with a comparison of differentials between price levels of all crops in the 23 towns on main transport routes leading to Sian.
