J9{) BOARD OF AGRICULTimE, 



Statistics. — As the law constituting the Board of Agriculture 

 makes it a part of the duty of the Secretary to gather and incorporate 

 into his report "such statistics as he may be able to collect," and as, 

 from the nature of the case, no one man, unaided, can possibly per- 

 form more than a small portion of the labor required to obtain accu- 

 rate and reliable agricultural statistics, and as the Board, at its last 

 session, unsuccessfully urged upon the Legislature the adoption of 

 some system -which might accomplish this purpose, a few remarks 

 upon the general subject of statistics may not be out of place. 



It is said, that as a people we are far behind the nations of Europe 

 in appreciating the use and value of statistics. All readily admit, 

 as an abstract truth, that we are dependent upon a knowledge of facts 

 both for present instruction and for guidance in future action, but 

 while professedly acknowledging the importance of inductive science 

 we fail to carry out our professions into national practice. As indi- 

 viduals, in our private affairs we do better. Ko prudent man enters 

 upon any undertaking of magnitude without first demanding a 

 knowledge of all the facts which can be obtained having; a bearinjj 

 on the case, nor does he fail to keep himself thoroughly "posted up" 

 regarding all which transpire during its prosecution. Few would 

 not hesitate in extending a loan to a person of great reputed wealth, 

 when upon inquiry it was found that he himself could only guess 

 at the amount of his property, and where and how it was invested, 

 or whether his investments were safe, productive and convertible. 

 "What possible evidence can be produced to show that enlightened 

 legislation in behalf of a State is less dependent upon a full knowl- 

 edge of facts as a satisfactory basis, than private action? 



What has this to do with agriculture ?- Just what a supply of 

 bread has to do with living. No question comes more closely home 

 to the legislator or to the private citizen than that of subsistence. 

 If, as Mr. Everett said in his late address before the New York 

 State Agricultural Society, " our existence as individuals or com- 

 munities must be kept up by a daily supply of food, directly or 

 indirectly furnished by agriculture, and if tins supply should wholly 

 fail for ten days, all this multitudinous, striving, ambitious hu- 

 manity, these nations and kindred, and tribes of men would perish 

 from the face of the earth by the most ghastly form of dissolution," 

 then it follows that whatever affects the amount, yes, or the cost or 



