ANIMAL AND VEGETABLE PRODUCTS. Y 255 
every vessel, the port from whence she sailed, and a copy of her manifesto, 
giving an account of the cargo she brings. By the kind cooperation of Mr. 
Robert MacAndrew, a complete file of these papers for the five years was 
obtained, and, books being prepared for the purpose, a clerk was employed 
to go over the file and transcribe every importation under its proper heading, 
and to make inquiries of the merchants or brokers whenever it was doubt- 
fully expressed, as was very frequently the case. One thousand five hundred 
and sixty-five of these mercantile newspapers were thus collated, and every 
package imported in the five years was recorded. The next step was to as- 
certain the average weight of each package, or the entire weight of each 
consignment, which was done chiefly by personal application to the con- 
signees, who in every instance, when applied to and informed of the cause 
of inquiry, readily gave the required information. 
It cannot be doubted that the connexion of Science and Commerce in this 
practical way, if followed out, will have a most important effect upon human 
progress. ‘The man of science, by learning the particular species which afford 
valuable products, will by his knowledge of affinities be enabled to direct 
the merchant to new fields of enterprise; and when science thus shows its 
power of being practically useful, the respect for it will be increased, which 
must greatly assist in its advancement. 
But the method pursued in the present instance is too laborious and too 
partial to be of any great use, except as indicating the important information 
which is lost to the country for want of a more complete system of statistics. 
The Board of Trade “ Returns” would appear to supply the deficiency to a 
great extent; but a comparison of the following tables with that voluminous 
production will show that very many things are never mentioned in the 
Official Returns, except under such general denominations as “ Drugs not 
otherwise enumerated,” &c. Now it is to the unknown articles that most 
attention should be given: intelligent people abroad see natural productions 
which they believe would be most useful to our manufactures, or in our 
_ Materia Medica; they send a small quantity for experiment, which being 
_ unknown, is entered under some general term similar to the above, and the 
Revenue is satisfied. The broker, if a man of extensive business, does not 
_ like to be troubled with small matters; and the article is laid aside until value- 
less, and then consigned to the dust-cart. In this way the importation of the 
valuable Hydroborate of Soda, now extensively imported as borax from South 
_ America, was in abeyance for at least six years; and almost numberless 
_ instances of a similar kind might be collected in our largest sea-ports. 
_ The remedy for this would be the appointment of an official in the landing 
department of each port, to ascertain and record every new importation. 
_ The merchant in all such cases would willingly give a specimen for examina- 
tion; and as there are now Industrial Museums in London (Kew), Liverpool, 
inburgh, and Dublin, the specimens could be determined there, and remain 
public inspection. It ought also to be imperative upon the Landing Officers 
to return every importation by its correct name,-a difficulty which would be 
very trifling if either of the above Museums were referred to. One other 
“reason cannot be objected to:—if National Statistics are worth collecting, 
they can only be so when correct; and correct statistics must be more 
essential to a great commercial nation than to any other. 
. T. C. ARCHER. 
bd 
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TABLES, 
