34 



For the preparation of a uuiform system of statistics, tlie Vienna 

 congress organized a permanent commission, whose duty is to collect 

 information as to the execution of the decisions of the congress in dif- 

 ferent countries, together with the difficulties that stand in the way ; to 

 assimilate statistical publications of different countries, with a view to 

 the promotion of an international system; to prepare a i)rogramme for 

 discussion of the subsequent meetings of the congress; to set on foot 

 international inquiries in different countries in all proposed branches, 

 and to report the results ; to execute all the international work, such as 

 •was proposed at the congress at the Hague, and to resolve the questions 

 pertaining to their execution ; finally, to present to the congress an 

 abstract of action necessary to be taken. 



The Brussels congress in 1853, the offshoot of the great London expo- 

 sition of 18G1, defined the scope of agricultural statistics as embracing 

 such information as is necessary to determine the tacts, conditions, pro- 

 cesses, and results of productive industry at a given time. These facts 

 should be gathered in in different countries in schedules capable of com- 

 parison and embracing a single farming year, or an average year. The 

 last quarter of the year gives the most convenient opportunity for com- 

 parison. These inquiries should be periodically repeated, and more 

 frequently in countries in which agricultural systems and results show 

 marked changes. Every decennial census of population should embrace 

 schedules of agricultural statistics. The congress did not insist upon 

 any uniform mode of making these inquiries, nor upon any uniform sys- 

 tem of questions. The latter should be as few as possible, embracing 

 the areas devoted to specific cultures, mode of fertilization, value of 

 products, agricultural laborers, and farm-animals. The congress at Paris 

 in 1855 recommended a decennial census embracing elaborate details, 

 with more limited annual inquiries, embracing only the leading points. 

 These should be made in each locality by private individuals organized 

 into commissions. The area should be permanently parceled out by 

 government in order to facilitate such inquiries. These should embrace 

 the acreage in different crops, total and relative product, weight of the 

 product in proportion to volume. To these questions as a minimum 

 should be added others in regard to the price of wood per hectare, the 

 products of agriculture, silk-production and prices of cocoons, irriga- 

 tion, drainage, machinery, &g. The decennial census, with more extended 

 schedules, should show the condition of present culture, land improve- 

 ment, cost of labor, condition of the laboring population, live stock, 

 manure, and other matters essential to a proper study of agricultural 

 production. The London congress, in 1860, demanded an annual deter- 

 mination of the product of the j)rincipal crops of all countries, with 

 their acreage ; an annual, or at least quinquennial enumeration of live 

 stock, their market-value, &c. The mode of inquiry was left to each 

 particular country. The Florence congress of 1867 still further elabo- 

 rated the data to be sought by statistical inquiry, and laid special 

 emphasis upon the traffic in real estate. The congress at the Hague, in 

 1809, adopted the resolution offered by the American delegate, Mr. 

 Euggles, requesting the delegates to the next congress to furnish sta- 

 tistics of their respective countries for three years prior to its meeting. 

 These different congresses seemed to harmonize upon the specific objects 

 of the international system of statistics, but the members greatly differed 

 as to the practical methods of attaining them. 



Among the reforms recommended by the late congress at Vienna was a 

 uniform standard of weights, measures, and money. It was strongly 

 urged that all schedules should be carefully worded and the different 



