584 



AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 



The plan as seen in these extracts has great objections. After reading all the 

 returns, who can tell their result ( They convey an impression that the crops 

 are good, hut how much above or below a standard, or a normal, or an average 

 crop, no one can tell. They are too prolix, although as much condensed as the 

 plan will allow. For the forty counties of England they would require thirty- 

 two pages of the size of those of this report. For the United States they would 

 demand a large volume, which would be read by not more than one person in a 

 half million of our population. Nor does this plan institute a comparison with 

 tlie crop of any preceding year. These objections do not obtain to the plans 

 adopted in the United States or Prussia. 



2. Prussia. — This nation has a department of agriculture, presided over by 

 a secretary. lu its operations agricultural societies act as an aid to the depart- 

 ment. They meet together and make up an annual report of the crops. AVc 

 have no knowledge of the means adopted by them to collect the information 

 they embody in their report, but the following quotations from their report for 

 18(32 will show the plan adopted. Their estimates, it will be seen, are com- 

 parative, and the standard of comparison is one hundred, representing an im- 

 ao-inary normal crop. As no census has ever been taken there of the number 

 of bushels produced in any one year, the comparison must always be with this 

 imaginary standard ; nor can their returns be reduced to bushels, as they are 

 here, for want of a basis which such census would furnish. The report is given 

 for "governmental districts," which are nine in number, and the retm-ns from 

 which it is compiled are four hundred and twenty-nine. 



The Jirst table exhibits the amount of the crops for the province of Prussia, 

 with remarks on the quality, &c. 



The second, the summary for all the provinces. 



The third, the average yield for ten years of the provinces. 



THE HARVEST IN THE SEVERAL PROVINCES OF PRUSSIA. 

 1st Province of Prussia; from 81 Reports. 



Remarks on the crops of the neighborhood of Kingsberg. 



Average weight: Of whoat, 82 pounds; of rye, 79 pounds; of barley, 68 pounds; of oats, 52 pounds; of 

 peas. 85 pounds; of buckwheat, 57 pounds; of potatoes, 96 pounds; of rapo, 71 pounds per scheffel, (li 

 bushel.) Jliiy of both cuttings, 0.92; first cut of a bad quality ia many places ; second cut of very good 

 quality. Other field crops, 0.98; flax, 1.02; wool crop, 0.99. 



Wheat Buffered much from rust; turnips from maggots. Potatoes showed the well-known disease of the 

 vine, their development being therefore checked in many places, and suffering at the same time from maggots ; 

 beans suffered from mildew. 



