404 On Agricultural Statistics 



Professor Simontls also drew attention to tlie circumstance that 

 more ejnzootic diseases have inevailed during the last ticenty years 

 than for one hundred years •previously ; and lie subsequently 

 carried tlie following proposition: — "That in relation to the 

 causes affecting' public health it is exceedingly desirable that 

 means be adopted for ascertaining the extent in fatality of 

 epizootic and other diseases among those animals which are 

 ordinarily used as food, and that it be recommended to be carried 

 into effect by the authorities appointing veterinary surgeons and 

 other officers of a similar kind." 



I have endeavoured to link the chief features of interest in 

 connection with the history of the important subject of agi'icul- 

 tural statistics into a consecutive chain, so that the readers of 

 this Journal may hereafter have a more convenient reference to 

 the whole matter than is implied in hunting up the different 

 Blue Books and other documents — disjecta membra — wherein the 

 particulars now collated lie entombed. 



Hitherto I have been dealing with what may be called the 

 period of hope deferred : now I come to the period of fruition, 

 which was heralded by the announcement of the President of 

 the Board of Trade in the House of Commons, in March 1865, 

 as a reply to a question by Mr. Caird, that a sum of money 

 would be asked for during the session to enable him to carry 

 into effect the resolution of the Plouse with regard to agricultural 

 statistics. On the succeeding 12th of June a sum of 10,000/. 

 was voted to be applied in obtaining the necessary information. 

 Before the end of that month of June the disease Avhich 

 eventually attained to so terrible a magnitude in Great Britain, 

 made its first appearance in London, and in a short space of 

 time gave proof of its fell malignity. On the 29th of September 

 a Royal Commission was issued for an investigation of the 

 " Origin and Nature of the Contagious or Infectious Disorder now 

 prevailing among the Cattle of Great Britain " ; and the Com- 

 missioners, after having taken evidence on such points as seemed 

 to them most urgent, wrote by their secretary, on the 24th of 

 October, to the Board of Trade, representing " the importance of 

 obtaining correct information respecting the number of horned 

 cattle and sheep in the country." The reply from the Board of 

 Trade, dated 3rd November, states that " the representation of 

 the Commissioners has received the prompt and anxious con- 

 sideration of my Lords, and they entirely concur with Her 

 Majesty's Commissioners as to the importance of ascertaining 

 the stock of cattle existing in this country. If such information 

 were obtained it could not fail to be of great utility and interest 

 at the present time to the agriculturists as well as to the public 

 at large. It appears that this country is almost exceptional in not 



