BULLETINS OF THE ELEVENTH CENSUS. 



Upon resolving to include in this volume an epitome of the horticul- 

 tural statistics of the eleventh census, I found that there were none 

 relating to the production of apples, peaches, pears, plums, etc. A letter 

 •of inquiry addressed to Supt. Porter elicited the following reply: 



Department of the Interior, 



Census Office, Washington, August 27, 1892. 



Dear Sir — In reply to your recent letter, I beg to inform you that no bulletin 

 relative to the production of fruit, or to any other branch of horticulture other than 

 those which you mention in your letter, has been issued by this office. The tabulation 

 ■of the statistics of apples, peaches, pears, etc., has not been finally abandoned, but, if 

 the work is done at all, it will be the very last subject of investigation to be taken up. 



Very respectfully, 



J. Hyde, 

 Special Agent in Charge of Agriculture. 



To this I replied that these statistics were of much more importance 

 "than some of those already tabulated and issued in bulletin form, and I 

 •urged that the work should be done, and as soon as possible. I append 

 Mr. Hyde's reply: 



Department or the Interior, 



Census Office, Washington, September 3, 1892. 



Dear Sir — Your letter of August 30 implies a fear that there is some lack of appre- 

 ciation of the importance of horticulture on the part of this office, which is certainly 

 not the case. No previous census has done anything like so much for the horticultural 

 interests of the country as has been done by the present one. This fact has been 

 recognized by more than one national convention. The horticultural investigation of 

 this census was, however, laid out on a scale that was not only one of great magnitude, 

 but, as an examination of the inclosed schedule will show you, was out of proportion 

 to many other important interests. I do not believe that the work of the office will be 

 brought to a conclusion without a tabulation of the statistics of the production of 

 apples, peaches, and probably one or two other leading fruits, but the hourly demands 

 that are made upon the office for the statistics of sheep and wool, neat cattle and dairy 

 products, the value of farming lands, and other branches of investigation, are such as 

 to leave the office no choice but to give matters of such widespread public interest, 

 especially at the present time, the preference. The work of this division would be in a 

 much more forward condition than it is had it not been that the insufficiency of last 

 year's appropriation necessitated an almost entire suspension of work for a long period 

 •of time. Agriculture and allied subjects are now, however, occupying the attention of 

 a larger clerical force than is engaged upon any other department of census work, and 

 by the time the work is completed there will be no interest that can justly consider 

 itself to have been slighted. As for horticulture being of " greatly more importance 

 than some of those already tabulated," I would inform you that when the number of 

 clerks available for the agricultural work of the census was so greatly reduced, it 

 became necessary to confine the work of the division to subjects that could be handled 

 by a small force, in order that the work might not be entirely barren of results. I 

 •write you thus fully in view of your official position as the secretary of one of the most 

 influential of our state societies, in order that no misapprehension may exist as to the 

 .attitude of this office toward the interest you represent. 



Very respectfully, 



J. Hyde, 



Edwy C. Reid, Esq., Special Agent in Charge of Agriculture. 



Sec'y State Horticultural Society, Allegan, Mich. 



