And the subsequent labor shortage, completed the liberation of most remaining serfs. Nearly half of the rural population was killed off by the Plague from the 1340s through the end of the 14th century. Since there were far fewer farmers, there was far fewer agricultural produce. There were just as many feudal overlords (well, nearly as many, the nobility suffered much less from the plague than did their subjects.). Even though the nobility had begun to manage their property more carefully before the Plague, the sudden disappearance of so many farmers left them in a big cash flow bind. Nobles could cut costs, by letting go many servants and abandoning many of their buildings. Many villages were completely empty of inhabitants anyway. Even watermills were abandoned, and these were quite expensive to build. But without farmers bringing grain to mill, there were no fees (4-5 percent of the grain) to be collected and pay for the maintenance of the mill and wages of its workers.