222 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. 



On the 9nd Feb. the monthly meeting of the Newcastle 

 Farmers' Club was held. Mr. Weeks occupied the chair. 



The Chairman stated that Mr. Chrisp intended to intro- 

 duce the subject of passing resolutions as to the benefit of 

 a general system of agricultural statistics of tlie united 

 empire. 



Mr. CiiRisp said that, although he had undertaken to 

 bring the matter before the club, he did not think he was 

 able to throw much light upon it. This was the year when 

 the census of the population was to be taken ; and it ap- 

 peared highly desirable that some move should be made to 

 ascertain the produce of the land, as well as the number of 

 people. He had certainly expected a greater number of 

 individuals would have been present at this meeting to 

 make their objections; but, as they had kept away, it 

 showed that they had none to make. The only objection 

 that had been suggested to him, in connection wiih the 

 subject, was the publicity that would be thrown upon private 

 affairs. As far as Scotland was concerned, where the re- 

 turns were taken for three years, he knew it to be the re- 

 verse ; in fact, Mr. Hall IMaxwell (secretary to the Scottish 

 Agricultural Society) had reported that the suspicion of 

 inquisitorial or private interference was entirely done away 

 with; but, in consequence of an unfortunate misunder- 

 standing between that gentleman and the Audit Board, the 

 Government grant was withdrawn in 1857. In Ireland the 

 agricultural statistics were regularly returned, he believed 

 through the police, and registered ; but he did not intend 

 to advocate any particular mode of obtaining them, although 

 he thought they had better be taken by each individual 

 farmer ; and this plan would incur less expense to the 

 coiihtry. The return of the acreage could be obtained be- 

 fore the harvest, but the quantity of grain yielded could only 

 be ascertained after the harvest was over. The only object 

 tion, he repeated, to the returns, thatjie had heard of, was 

 that it would expose the affairs of each individual farmer to 

 the public. That course, however, had never happened in 

 Scotland, where there were a certain number of enumerators 

 for each individual district. The returns were completely 

 private, and there had never been any suspicion of publicity 

 given to any farmer's aBfairs in Scotland. His'opinion was that 

 instead of such a number of enumerators making a personal 

 inspection, it might be better if the numbers were taken by 

 schedules, and through the Poor Law Board. The acreage 

 could easily be taken in that way, and the only difliculty 

 that could exist would be to obtain the quantity per acre. 

 He had no doubt any farmer would give it to any official 

 ■who was under the same secresy as an income-tax commis- 

 sioner, and upon the understanding that it was not to be 

 divulged except as regarded the quantity in each district or 

 county. He had also very little doubt that it would entail 

 only a small expense to compensate the persons for the 

 extra labour which devolved upon them. He did not ad- 

 vocate that these returns should be obtained every year; but> 

 perhaps, after a trial, it might be well to do so. But this 

 year, being the year appointed for the taking of the census 

 he thought the acreage might be ascertained at the same 

 time without any additional expense. He thought that it 

 was as necessary to ascertain agricultural statistics, to show 

 the public the quantities of the crop, as it was to let them 



know the number of people. His object was to obtain a 

 proper account of agricultural statistics, instead of having 

 those of a particular description, such as the guesses that 

 appeared in the newspapers. Every year there were attempts 

 by the newspapers to state what was the production of the 

 crops, and they were very wide of the mark ; at least if they 

 took Scotland, where they were supposed to be pretty accu- 

 rate, it was found that they differed materially from the 

 statements of Mr. M'Culloch, who was considered at one 

 time to be an authority in these matters. If some sort of 

 guess was found to be necessary, it would be better and 

 easier to give tlie truth as near as they could approach to it, 

 instead of taking surmises from the papers. He found 

 from a report he held in his hand that the acre- 

 age was actually taken in Scotland about July or 

 September; the quantity per acre and gross pro- 

 duce was not ascertained until the first week in Decem- 

 ber. He mentioned this to show that they must not expect 

 over much from the returns ; and if they were taken during 

 the autumn it would be impossible to influence the mar- 

 kets more than the season would do. The acreage would be 

 produced for the public before the harvest, but the yield 

 could not be shown before Christmas. He did not wish to 

 exaggerate the importance of the returns, yet, at the same 

 time, he thought that an accurate report of the statistics 

 would materially benefit the public instead of the surmises 

 that were every year published. He wished to press upon 

 them the necessity of passing the following resolutions, so 

 as to remove the stigma to which the agricultural classes had 

 been subject in this country. The first was, that " We 

 deeply regret the want of accurate accounts of the annual 

 produce of arable land, and the amount of live slock, which 

 are so necessary to enable us to foma an opinion respecting 

 the value of modern practices in the management of the 

 soil, as well as the general progress of agriculture in the 

 nineteenth century," Second, " We consider a well-devised 

 system of agricultural statistics as being essential to supply 

 this information, so desirable to agriculturists as well as to 

 statesmen." Third, "We deem tlie present year, 1801, as 

 being a peculiarly opportune time for the commencement 

 of such an enumeration, along with that of the population 

 of the United Empire of Great Britain and Ireland." 

 Fourth, "We therefore respectfully urge upon Iha execu- 

 tive, the Legislature, as well as the landed interest, to use 

 their endeavours to supply the information for Uiis king- 

 dom, which is given by almost every nation of Europe, and 

 even by our most distant colonies." There were scarcely a 

 nation which did not have regular agricultural statistics. 

 He had seen reports from Australia, and other countries ; 

 and why they should be omitted in England he could not 

 conceive. He believed that a jealousy existed, and it would 

 be well to ascertain where the evil was. If they were to 

 have knowledge it should be correct, and not surmises. 

 The speaker concluded by moving that the above resolu- 

 tions be passed, and invited the opinion of those members 

 present. 



Mr. Glover, the secretary, said, whilst admitting the ne- 

 cessity of agricultural statistics, the difficulty that presented 

 itself to him would be how to obtain them. They had cer- 

 tainly been suoceBsful in Scotland, through the instrumen- 



