USEFUL PROJECTS. 
principles, some stating the whole 
quantities of grain produced, others 
the number of acres sown, and 
others again the average produce of 
each acre; and drawing, in some 
instances, a comparison with the 
crop of fast year, in others with that 
of certain preceding. years, and in 
others with what is generally called 
a fair crop, that it is extremely 
dificult to combine and compare 
them, so as to state accurately the 
result of the whole. 
Your committee would have en- 
deayoured to render this investiga. 
tion more complete, if they had 
not felt’ the great importance of 
suggesting, without further delay, 
such measures as have occurred to; 
them for alleviating an evil which 
evidently exists to such an extent 
as to call for the most effectual re- 
medy. 
From the best consideration of 
such information as they have hi- 
therto obtained, they should not 
feel themselves authorized in as- 
suming as the ground of any opi- 
nion they may offer, that the defi- 
ciency of the crop of wheat is less 
‘than from one fifth to one sixth, 
compared with the crop of last year, 
god from one fourth to one fifth, 
compared with an average crop. 
The crop of rye, of which no great 
quantity is usually grown, may pro- 
bably be considered as equally de- 
ficient ; but the crops of barley and 
oats are represented to be nearly 
double those of 1794, and at least 
one fifth better than an average 
crop. 
lt appears also, from the concur- 
rent testimony of. intelligent per- 
sons, that the stock of wheat in 
hand at the commencement of the 
Jast harvest was much less than at 
the same period of the preceding 
[A419 
year, and there is also reason to be. 
lieve that a larger quantity has been 
used for seed in the present seed’ 
time than in the last.—-One of the 
causes of the extreme high price 
which prevailed antecedent to the 
last harvest, was generally supposed 
to be the very exhausted state to 
which.the steck of the country had 
then been reduced. In order to 
avoid a repetition of this evil, to 
the same or to a much greater ex. 
tent (if the succeeding crop should, 
from unfavourable seasons, be later 
or less produdtive than usual) it 
is certainly extremely desirable 
that the stock remaining in the 
country at the commencement of 
the next harvest, should be more 
adequate to the demand than what 
remained this year at a similar 
period. Whatever is necessary 
for this purpose, ought therefore 
to be added to the amount of the 
deficiency. 
Your committee have stated these 
circumstances to the honse, in order 
to explain more fully the grounds 
of their opinion, that there will 
be no security against very. con. 
siderable distress in the course of 
the ensuing year, unless the defi- 
ciency of wheat and rye can be 
supplied by importation, or unless. 
other means can be found, by 
which, out of the stock of different 
sorts of grain in the country, a 
comfortable and wholesome sub- 
sistence can be furnished to the 
people during the whole of that 
period. 
Upon the first part of this alter. 
native, your committee have al. 
ready humbly submitted their opi. 
nion; and though they fatter 
themselves, that from the adop. 
tion of the measures now in con. 
templation for the encouragement 
Ee2 
