( XV ) 



Owing to the imfavourableness of the autumn and spring sowing 

 seasons for the wheat crop of 1873, it was anticipated that there would 

 be a large falling off in the acreage under wheat ; but the Agricultural 

 Eeturns, just published, show that the actual decrease of the acreage 

 under wheat in Great Britain in 1873, as compared with 1872, was 

 not more than 3 per cent. A further comparison of the results for 

 1873 with those for 1872 shows the relative effect of the wet weather 

 ■of the last autumn and spring upon farming in the grazing and in 

 the corn districts of England. Thus in 1873 there was a decrease of 

 acreage under corn crops of 2*2 per cent, in the grazing counties, 

 against 0*2 per cent, in the corn counties, and the acreage under 

 green crops was smaller by 1*3 per cent, in the grazing counties, 

 against 0*9 in the corn counties. As regards the acreage for hay, 

 whilst that from clover and the rotation grasses decreased more 

 in the grazing than in the corn counties, or 9 per cent, against 7*6 

 per cent., the falling off in the acreage of hay from permanent 

 pasture was greater in the corn than in the grazing counties, or 

 8 per cent, as compared with 3-5 per cent. About 9 per cent, less 

 land was j)lanted with potatoes in the United Kingdom in 1873 

 than in 1872 ; the general failure of this crop in 1872 tended to 

 diminish the cultivation in 1873. In 1873 there was a larger 

 number of horses returned in Great Britain, and a larger number of 

 cattle and sheep both in Great Britain and in Ireland. The stock 

 of sheep in Great Britain, although considerably increased in 1873, 

 is still a little lower than it was in 1869. The number of pigs was 

 smaller by 271,000 in 1873 than in 1872. 



Some interesting results relating to persons engaged in agi-icul- 

 tural pursuits in England and Wales are shown in the recent 

 -census returns. The number of farmers and graziers enumerated 

 in 1871 was 249,907 (including 24,338 females) against 249,745 

 in 1861 (including 22,788 females); these results show a slight 

 decrease in proportion to the general population. Farm bailiffs 

 have increased from 15,698 in 1861 to 16,476 in 1871. The landed 

 proprietors returned themselves at 22,964 (including 8,773 females) 

 in 1871, and 30,766 (including 15,635 females) in 1861, but these 

 are exclusive of landed proprietors who returned themselves under 

 other occupations. 



The number of men returned as agricultural labourers was 908,678 

 in 1851, 914,301 in 1861, and 764,574 in 1871. Notwithstanding 

 explicit directions as to the necessity of filling in the particulars 

 relating to occupations, in the householders' schedules, according to 

 the instructions, it is probable that some agricultural labourers were 

 returned as labourers. It is, therefore, not unlikely that the number 

 of agricultural labourers is understated in 1871, although it is pretty 

 well known that there has been a decrease in this class of the popu- 

 lation. 



The table at page XVIII., exti'acted from the Census Eeport, 

 shows the results at each of the last three censuses. 



