CHAPTER II 



POPULATION 



The agricultural population of Great Britain 

 has been declining relatively to the whole for 

 at least a century. We have no valid statis- 

 tics earlier than 1811, when the second Census 

 was taken. An attempt was made in 180 1 to 

 ascertain the number of persons emplo3^ed in 

 agriculture, but the results were so vitiated 

 by defective returns as to be thought invalid. 

 In 181 1 a change was made and the number 

 of families was obtained instead of persons, 

 and this was continued until 1841, when a 

 return was made to the former method of 

 enumerating persons. It was, however, 

 possible to compare 1841 with 1831 in regard 

 to males over 20 ; and accordingly the 

 Census report for 185 1 gave the following 

 comparative figures, showing the proportion 

 of the agricultural population to the whole at 

 each of the four Censuses : — 



