of land were informed that the report would be so prepared as to preclude the possibility of particulars in regard to individuals being divulged. The first return therefore only indicated the extent of the crops in districts comprising several parishes; and in conformity with this principle, the return now forwarded contains the estimated produce of the same districts. A record of the extent of the crops in every parish was then preserved, and a state ment of the average produce of each has now been prepared: but as it was considered inexpedient to publish the details of parishes in the one instance, I presume it will be objectionable in the other. "The machinery employed in obtaining the estimates was simple, and proved efficient. In every district there was a committee composed of the enumerators and experienced farmers, selected from--and representing each of the associated parishes. "The nature and object of their services were explained in a circular addressed by me to the members of these committees before harvest, their attention was called to the standing crops, and they were requested to institute inquiry, and obtain information within their respective parishes. Their observations were continued during the progress of the harvest; and at a later period, when experiments in thrashing and weighing had been made, the committees were convened by their enumerators, the views of the members were compared and considered, and a statement was prepared and forwarded to me, show ing the average acreable produce of each parish, in bushels of grain and tons of roots." Such is the mode adopted by the Highland and Agri cul ural Society of Scotland. number of cultivators, serfs, or slaves, was above ten millions, or 46 per cent of the total agricultural population. Another important object in agriculture is the subdivision of real property. In France in 1835 there were as many as 10,893,528 distinct properties. In Ireland the number of holdings exceeding one acre in extent, was, in 1852, 550,413. The produce of grain is largest in Russia; but the United States far exceed in the variety and abundance of other produce, especially cotton, tobacco, &c. The amount of cattle and sheep, in proportion to the population, is largest in Great Britain and Ireland. The United States have a larger number of cattle, but Great Britain possesses double the number of sheep, whilst the United States have double the number of pigs. As to the value of agricultural produce the census of the United States gives the cash value of farms at 900.000.0007., and the value of farming implements at 32,000,000l., that of live stock at 100,000,000. M'Culloch gives the value of the crops of the British Empire at 120 millions sterling, and the value of land in England at 128 millions. The total value of the vegetable kingdom in Russia is given by Tegobonski at 260 millions sterling. These figures sufficiently demonstrate the immensity of the provisions which a gracious providence has afforded to mankind. We have viewed the agricultural resources of but few countries, and left untouched Germany, Spain, South America, the East and West Indies, and Australia. It has already appeared that the improvement of agriculture in this country has scarcely kept pace with the increase of population. In the report of the census of 1851, it is stated that the rate at which the population of Great Britain increased, It would remain now to notice that objections have been from 1801 to 1851, is such that if it continue to prevail raised on the part of some of the farmers. They fear uniformly, the population will double itself every 52.5 the results of such statistics-that such may be subse-years. That is to say, the population of Great Britain, quently used to their disadvantage, either by imposing in 1903, may be expected to reach 42,243,934 souls, who on them new taxes or by the raising of the rents, or will require 42,000,000 of quarters of wheat and wheat that they are intended for some political purposes. Such flour per annum. Will Great Britain extend its proobjections it is all important to remove by convincing ductive forces in an equal ratio? Much has of late the farmers of the utility of such accounts, and by been accomplished in agricultural science. The great showing them their bearing on the price of produce, discoveries of chemistry, the results of meteorological and on the public welfare. Sir John Boileau proposes observations, the extension and application of agricultural that commissioners be sent throughout the country mechanics, the improvements made in the land by drainto extend information among the farmers on the subject ing, by the removal of useless fences, by the diminution of agricultural statistics, and though the plan would be of fourfooted game, by the introduction of new kinds of attended with considerable expense, it would have the manures, by irrigation, and by improvement of farm effect of removing any prejudice which may still exist buildings, have all considerably enlarged the prospects of against such statistics, and facilitate materially the ob British agriculture. The progress of agricultural science is taining of compendious accounts from the most distant greatly owing to the combination of scientific with pracprovinces. tical instruction in agriculture. This science is now taught Having now expatiated on the expediency of ob- in the National Universities, where professor hips" of taining such statistics, let us make some use of what rural economy, agricultural chemistry, botany, and geoare within our reach in this and other countries; calling logy, have been established. Agricultural colleges and your attention to the table of cultivated land, population, model farms, for acquiring acquaintance with the manageproduce, and stock of some important continental States. ment of a farm, have also been introduced with eminent We shall not follow the table which is appended, but offer success; whilst the agricultural institutions, such as the some general observations on the principal topics it sug-Royal Agricultural Society of Eugland, the Highland and gests. Russia by far exceeds any other country in the ex Agricultural Society of Scotland, and the Royal Agricultent of soil under cultivation, but such is the disproportion tural Improvement Society of Ireland, have contributed which exists in the 51 Governments into which that materially in encouraging men of science to turn their attencountry is divided, that whilst two Governments, Toula tion to agriculture, in promoting the discovery of new vaand Tschervigow have 3.5th of the land under cultiva- rieties of grain useful to man, or for the food of domestic tion, Astrakhan and Arkhangel have no more than animals, and in the spreading of sound information on all 1-1,000th. The state of agriculture in Russia suffers subjects connected with practical husbandry. Yet there materially for want of rain. The average quantity of is limitation even in productiveness and improvements. rain is given as follows, by M. Gasperin in French inches. Political economy has brought to light a great principle in In the west of England the law of production. Mr. J. Stuart Mill says, Land differs from the other elements of production, labour, and capital, in not being susceptible of indefinite increase. After a certain and not very advanced stage in the progress of agriculture, as soon, in fact, as mankind have applied themselves to cultivation with any energy, and brought to it any tolerable tools-from that time. it is the law of production from the land, that in any given state of agricultural skill and knowledge, by increasing the labour, the produce is not increased in an equal de East do. West of Europe 37.59 26.56 26.12 34.43 Southern parts of Greece and France 15.88 Agriculture is also affi cted there by the want of population in many parts of the country, whilst in others it abounds. But the greatest evil inflicted on agriculture is the system of servitude which prevails. In 1834 the gree-doubling the labour does not double the produce." | interests of the nation collectively, and of the individuals Such being the law of production, and the quantity of composing it respectively. Also that such agricultural land capable of improvement in the United Kingdom statistics may be collected, either through the Registrar being limited, we must direct our eyes to emigration. A migratory character is the law of all human beings. Geology discovers the bones of elephants in the arteries of these northern islands. How they came here we know not. The back woods of America, the antipodes of Australia, are being peopled with the surplus of our population. In the last decennium, to 1851, we sent them as many as 2,688,746 inhabitants, and emi gration is still proceeding at the rate of 300,000 a year. New empires are thus created-the bounties of the earth multiplied-civilization, commerce and religion shed their benign influence into continents and islands. And though passions and ambition still control our actions, and wars and anarchy still infest our borders; though ignorance is still the lot of the masses-and though slavery still offers with impunity a sacrilege of God's creation in Republican America-there is a future solemnly advancing, of newer life and newer principles-abundance or indigence, by the prevalence or declension science, majestically revealing the machinery of the great Universe-and our vision brightening beyond that starry firmament whose brilliant appearance raises our aspirations and ennobles our thoughts. General, or the same machinery by which the recent census of population was collected, or through the Poor Law Board, and that whichever means is adopted by Government, it is all-important that it be sanctioned by public opinion, and strengthened by individual efforts. Lastly, that such an inquiry is demanded, by the uncertainty to which the people is exposed, as to the amount of food it possesses within a certain time, with its ever-increasing wants-by the fluctuation which follows in the prices of produce, often doubling or reducing its value, even to the extent of cent. per cent., and by the necessity of having a timely warning of future wants. Further, that it is a measure both expedient and necessary to the legislators to ascertain and study the wants, the resources, and the productive forces of the State whose helm they bear-to the jurist and moralist to ponder over those moral phenomena, so powerfully developed by of aggrarian crimes and offences against persons and property-to the merchant, to appreciate the extent of the field into which he is to operate, to be prompt, energetic, and calculating in his speculation, or to be slow in giving Reverting to our immediate subject, we have shown credence to vague fears and apprehensions-to the shipthat the collection of agricultural statistics is an essen-owners, to afford sufficient amount of shipping to meet tial duty of the nation and of individuals—that it is a this imperative national want of bringing food from afarduty, the performance of which demanding an exten- and to the farmer himself, to regulate his dealing in the sive and permanent machinery, it behoves Govern-market, to learn the productive capacities of the soil, and ment to undertake that the difficulties to its per- to establish the true basis for the adaptation and connecformance are more ephemeral than real, and that the tion of science with agriculture. objections raised against it are inconsistent with the true AREA, POPULATION, AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE OF THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES. DISCUSSION. The SECRETARY read the following statement, which he had received from Mr. H. F. Jadis, the Comptroller of Corn Returns, Board of Trade, who was unable to attend the meeting. Mr. H. F. JADIS says: "in 1849, the then President of the Board of Trade, Mr. Labouchere, in reply to a question put by Mr. Sanders, said, "There was great difficulty as to the nature of the machinery to be employed." I certainly feel, when so high an authority has admitted the experienced difficulty, that I am open to the charge of presumption in attempting its solution; but as I am aware that many plans have been proposed to obtain agricultural statistics, I too may venture to cast my plan into the general heap, and trust that a grain of wheat may here and there be gathered out of the thousand and one bushels of chaff. It is not a little wonderful, that while almost every interest has its own statistics-and overy European one its commercial, and, to a great extent, its agricultural, this country alone is in its greatest and most enduring interest unrepresented in the statistical world; or, if represented at all, so inefficiently, as to be of no practical benefit. The only statistics as regards the soil is to be found in the quantities and averages of corn published by the Comptroller of Corn Returns, Board of Trade. There are three modes which might be adopted to collect the information required. lat. Clerks of Unions; 2nd. Parochial Clergy; 3rd. Paid Inspectors, specially appointed. 1. Union Clerks.-These would be very efficient, but their duties are already too onerous to expect them to devote much time to another. It must also be remembered, that the "Unions" are not "universal." there being a considerable number of parishes under local and Gilbert's Acts. 2. The Parochial Clergy. This would be so strongly (and justly) opposed by the parties themselves, as entailing duties so foreign to their own, that I only mention it in consequence of some respectable parties having alluded to it. 3. Paid Inspectors.-These to be called "Inspectors of Agricultural Statistics," to be under the control of the Board of Trade, but not to be appointed or paid by it. They should be men of intelligence, and locally acquainted with the nature of the several farms; and in order to insure this, they should be appointed as our corn inspectors are, by the magistrates in Quarter Sessions a-sembled, and paid out of the county rates. By being so paid, they will be under the eyes of the magistrates and ratepayers, and can be removed on application to the Board of Trade, for neglect or inefficiency. One farthing per annum per acre, on 29,579,626 acres, the number under the Union, would realise full £30,000 a year, which, at £50 a head, will be ample funds for their payment. This rate cannot be objected to by the landed interest, as they must be materially served by the obtaining these returns with correctness. With regard to the modus operandi, I would divide England into districts or circuits. I find there are 595 Unions, and 31 under Local Acts, making 626 in all. and representing above 30,000.000 acres. This will give about 45,000 acres to each Union. Now, suppose each Inspector took a circuit of about 50,000 acres, he could efficiently perform his duty. The Inspectors to be furnished with a tabular printed form, containing columns for-1. Quantity of (approximated) all kinds of grain. 2. Number of acres under corn crops. 3. Number of acres under green crops. 4. Number under pasturage or meadow. 5. Number of head of cattle. 6. Number of sheep. 7. Quantity of (approximated) hay. 8. Price of cattle and sheep per head. 9. Rent per acre. 10. Amount of rates and taxes per acre. 11. Average of 4lb. loaf per half-year. 12. Average number of labourers per acre. 13. Rate of wages. 14. Nature of soil. The Inspector to deliver to every occupier one of these forms three weeks before Lady day and Michaelmas-day, with directions to fill them up on each of the above days. The There are also 31 Unions in addition under Gilbert's Act. Inspector will then collect them within 28 days, consolidate the whole of his district in another printed form, and forward them thus consolidated to the Board of Trade, to be there arranged, and published as soon as possible in the Gazette. As the Comptroller of Corn Returns in the Board of Trade has already a good deal of the machinery for this duty, I would propose him as the fit officer to perform this duty. Each county, it must be observed, must be complete in itself; no one circuit must extend beyond the bounds of its county. I have, I fear, at too great a length stated my opinion as to the easiest mode of obtaining agricultural statistics. I have given the subject much consideration, and if I have in any way assisted in the desired object, I shall be amply repaid." Mr. SAMUEL SIDNEY expressed his regret that he should rise thus early in the proceedings, but, nevertheless, he was extremely anxious to say a few words on the subject. He did not think that any person present at this meeting was likely to differ as to the conclusions which had been arrived at by the author of the paper. It was most desirable, he thought, that it should be known from year to year what the country produced, and what progress it made in agriculture. The pursuit of agriculture was upon a different footing to any other, and it was a fact, with respect to improvements in agriculture, that they had not shown such progression as they would have done had they been brought before the public through the medium of a correct system of agricultural statistics. It was quite clear, therefore, that they ought to be collected by some means or other, but it was most importaut that they should have a correct system. They knew that the fluctuations in agricultural produce were very considerable, one month they might have ample supplies; at another time they might be short; and at another there might be a sudden fall. Hence the value which would attach to a system such as he observed ought to be adopted; but it should be borne in mind that the good of the public must be considered. They all knew perfectly well that however useful an undertaking might be, it must be proved to be for the benefit of the public at large as well as for the advantage of those more immediately concerned; and in the present instance they would have to take some trouble to prove that agricultural statistics were not intended to be injurious to the farmers. It had been said that they would furnish a new attempt to reduce the price of corn. The answer he should make to this would be, that the great corn merchants had in their own hands the means of ascertaining the results of a corn harvest, particularly where wheat was concerned; and he was quite sure that if they could place in the possession of the public, shortly after the harvest, returns of the yield, and what they could supply for the rest of the year, they would no longer suffer from famines in the market. At the present moment a great deal of attention was paid to agricultural statistics of a particular kind. The Mark Lane Express went to considerable expense in collecting the price of corn in every part of the world; but they had no correct means of knowing what was the comparative progress which had been made in one part of a district over another. In some localities they showed that great progress had been made, whilst in others they gave no such information, because they had no practical proof before their eyes. The manner of collecting the statistics was a matter of considerable importance. He had very little faith in a system which would require that commissioners should be sent round the country to confer with the farmers as to the statistics of their produce. Farmers were a genial race of people, but they had a suspicion of commissioners. Therefore, he thought they must trust to the old and well-tested method which was furnished by the press. They would then achieve their object, by putting before the farmers, in a plain and intelligible way, information, which those who were naturally suspicious of any new scheme would not appreciate if it was proposed by persons of whom they knew nothing. The farmer would say that the landlord could raise his rent, because, by agricultural statistics, he would find out collection of the returns be made in a manner as little how much produce his land yielded. It should be recol-inquisitorial or offensive as possible; if either, they will be lected that many farm tenancies were only from year to apt to fail in their main object, correctness. The employyear, and the landlord could turn the farmer out whenever he thought proper. But this was not an argument against agricultural statistics, but against farming on a tenancy from year to year. For his own part, he did not believe there was anything in the argument at all. Another obection which had been raised was one which would be familiar to those persons who kne v what farmers' leases were. It was a great misfortune that a great deal of land was managed by lawyers, and not by landlords or their agents; and this, he considered, was an excellent reason for doing away with those absurd covenants which were too often introduced into leases Mr. Sidney proceeded to say, that whatever plan they adopted it should be a general one-not to be carried out according to the particular character of the landlord. The plan which had been proposed by Mr. Jadis would not do at all; it was exactly like an official plan, and would not be satisfactory to the public. No person who paid county rates would believe that they ought to pay for a process which was essentially national-and therefore the plan should be one which appealed to the public at large. With respect to the persons who should collect the statistics, he would only say it should be some one in whom the farmers had confidence. Let them begin by making friends with the farmers, and by showing them that it was not desired to lower the price of their produce, but to make the most of their land. This might be done without any violent means, and not as against the farmers, but with their co-operation. He was quite sure that they would have no difficulty in carrying out the undertaking, if they proceeded in this spirit, Mr. CIRD said, he thought they must be all agreed that agricultural statistics, in a national point of view, were of the greatest importance, but imagined that if they taxed the farmer for that which was intended as a national benefit, they would set him against them at once. The quantity of grain sold annually in the English market amounted to forty millions of quarters; and if accurate statistics should prevent the fluctuation of prices to the extent of only one shilling a quarter, the sum gained would amount to two millions sterling, which would pay for collecting the agricultural statistics of this country for the next century. He thought, after the paper which had been already read, that it was quite unnecessary to urge the importance of the subject; but he would read to the meeting a plan for collecting the statis tics which he had prepared, upon the principle that it would be improper that they should demand of the farmer information as to his private affairs. With regard to the suggestion for sending out commissioners to instruct the farmers how to fill up the returns, he would observe, that during a very extensive experience, he had always met with the greatest civility from farmers, and a desire to give him every information which would be publicly useful and not privately injurious, but he considered such a commission onfrelvunnecessary. Mr. Caird proceeded to say that the primipleson which the system of collecting returns proposed by hm was based, were-1. The main object is to obtain trust vorthy returns, and these with the least necessary expense. 2. Trustworthy returns can be obtained only through trustworthy officers, responsible for the correct performance of their duty, and working under a system which affords a ready test of accuracy. 3. Economy will be promoted by emplo ing a small number of competent and responsible men, rather than a very numerous body of local officials, each of whom must receive a fee, while they would be comparatively irresponsible, and, from their numbers subject to no satisfactory test of accuracy. 4. As the returns, to be useful, must be made within a very short time after harvest, and before much of the corn can be thrashed, they must, necessarily, be of the nature of an estimate, in so far as the yield per acre is concerned. 5. It is desirable, for many reasons, that the ment of confidential officers, bound to secresy, will be a of acres under each crop than the yield per acre, is shown by Decrease in acres, 334.080 piers of land would be obtained from the collector of rates in each parish. Taking the foregoing data as the principles on which to conduct the enquiriy, we should proceed thus:-Plan of operations. We shall suppose a branch of the Tithe and Inclosure Commission Office, or such other office as the Government may deem most suitable, to be the central office for issuing instructions, controlling officers, inspecting and testing the accuracy of the returns, and for arranging them for publication. One, two, and in some cases, three collectors of returns for each county, according to its extent, would be appointed. These would be selected men, of known competence. Each collector would be employed on an average 90 days before harvest in ascertaining the acreage under each crop and other particulars and 10 days after harvest in ascertain ing the comparative yield of the last crop. The collector, provided with his Map and list of occupiers, would, between the 1st of May and the end of July, personally visit every occupier of land within his district, and mark down in a book the several particulars required to be ascertained. This book would, when completed after harvest, be forwarded to the central office in London, and would be preserved for being afterwards tested by the personal enquiry of a superior officer. Immediately after harvest, the collector would again visit each parish in his district, and satisfy himself as to whether the crop of each kind was an average, or in how far it was above or below an average. Having already calculated the average produce of each crop in a parish, he would alter that to correspond with the actual produce of the particular season. Thus, for example, if he had ascertained that a certain parish had 1500 acres in wheat, which at the rate of the average of years yielded 39,000 bushels, but that the actual yield of that year had proved 2 bushels an acre below the average, he would subtract 3000 bushels from the above quantity, and return 36,000 bushels as the estimated yield of wheat in that parish. The main part of the calculations having been completed before harvest, the alterations necessary after harvest would be made with great facility, and the gross returns of the crops be ready for publication by the 10th of October. Monthly reports of the state of the growing crops at the most critical period, would be made during the three months of enquiry. It would be part of the duty of the central office to test the returns of every collector by an Inspector taking his returns for a particular parish, and investigating on the spot each statement recorded. This should be done in spring, so that the estimate might be compared with the fact after the crop was thrashed out; and thus any carelessness or gross inaccuracy would be detected, and a useful guide be supplied for the future. Incompetency or carelessness would be visited with loss of employment. After the gross returns of produce were issued, (which would be the first object,) it would be the duty of the Central Office to compile from the returns such valuable statistics as had a special bearig on the agricultural improvement of the kingdom, and of every separate district in it. As to the expense of obtaining the returns, it is obvious that there will be coneiderable economy in taking advantage of an existing department of government, such as the Tithe and Inclosure Commission, upon which this scheme might be without much difficulty engrafted. The officers employed in the various parts of the country by this department are chiefly occupied at present in the autumn, winter, and spring months, so that the duties of this enquiry would not interfere much with their ordinary duties. For the first year a greater number of persons would be required to organise the system, but in after years the whole cost would certainly not exceed £25,000 per annum. When it is considered that the estimated produce of the United Kingdom in grain of all kinds is 60 million quarters annually, 40 mil. lions of which come upon the market for sale, and that one shilling per quarter of fluctuation in price amounts to £2,000,000 sterling, the cost of collecting accurate information which should limit this fluctuation by only one shilling a quarter, would be repaid one hundred fold: Each year's experience would render these returns more perfect, as all the persons engaged would acquire greater accuracy in every branch of the inquiry. Dr. WADDILOVE said he had listened with some attention to the paper which had been read by the Secretary and it appeared to him that no practical benefit could arise from the plan proposed in it. He was only seeking information, and he should be glad to know whether he was not right in saying that no benfit would result from the scheme, unless it could be shown that the produce of the land would be thereby increased. If the object of the statistics was merely intended to improve the prospects of the farmers, he thought it would be unfair to saddle the country with an expense which was merely intended for the advantage of private individuals. The CHAIRMAN said the gentleman who had just spoken had rather misunderstood the object of the proposed statistics. It was not directly to improve the management of farms; but the object was, that at as early a period as possible the country might be made aware of the supply it might expect for its own sustenance during the ensuing year, in order that they might make provision for any dificiency. It was not (with this view) so important to ascertain the exact amount of produce as the relative amount. In all these cases it was sufficient to rely upon an approximation to the exact yield. This was all they required, and it was the only result possible, because they could not get any real result until long after the corn was consumed. He could not but think that the suggestions of Mr. Caird and of Mr. Wingrove Cooke would be useful, as it would be sufficient for practical purposes if they could ascertain the probable yield of the coming crops by the number of acres under cultivation. There would be no great difficulty in getting the information they required if they sent down to the Chairman of every Board of Guardians, who would supply them with an account of the number of acres in his particular district, and the extent of yield on the different classes of land at a given period when the corn should be ripe. Mr. MORTON, as a farmer, felt the necessity for a correct system of agricultural statistics, and stated that, in the year 1847, when the great fluctuations alluded to in the paper had occurred, he was unfortunate enough to sell a large quantity of grain just before the rise in the market took place, and on the prices falling he was again induced to sell. Had he been in possession of, or had the means of obtaining correct information as to the amount of grain on hand and the probable demand, he should not have been exposed to such uncertainty in his prɔceedings. Mr. SLANEY said this was one of the most important subjects, both to the farmer and to the people, which could possibly be brought under their notice. It should he recollected that it was owing rather to scarcity and other natural causes, than to anything that could belong to man's doing, that prices were much higher at one time than at another. Therefore, he believed, that, if there were any means of collecting the statistics of agricultural produce, it would tend to diminish discontent with regard to the fluctuation of prices. Some little time ago, being on the Council of the Royal Agricultural Society, he had had the privilege of inspecting the crops on the estate of the late Earl of Ducie, and from what he then witnessed, he was quite convinced that to none would agricultural statistics be of greater benefit than to the great mass of the working classes of this country. In some of the manufacturing towns a number of workmen had combined together for the purpose of purchasing provisions, and they were thus enabled to ascertain that high prices did not arise from any injustice inflicted upon them, but from natural causes. He thought this system might be carried out on a much larger scale, if they were furnished with every species of farm produce in every part of the country. |