Ill 



AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. 



AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS. 



IBS 



These returns apply however to the whole of the United Kingdom. 



The remainder of the estimates for England rest only upon proba- 

 bilitieH. Thus, in the Journal of the Royal Society of Agriculture 

 for 1856, the number of sheep in England and Wales is estimated at 

 27.000,000, worth upon an average 80. per head. About 10,000,000 

 are annually slaughtered for food, producing 800,000,000 of Ibs. of 

 mutton, which, at OW. per lb., amounts to 20,000,0002.; and calculating 

 the weight of each fleece at 4 1 Ibe., 121,500,000 Ibs. of wool is obtained, 

 worth at It. &/. per lb. nearly 8,000,000/. The number of cattle baa 

 been estimated at 5,620,000, and that of swine at about 5.000,000. The 

 number of horses is given by Mr. M'Culloch in 1847. and they have 

 probably not greatly increased since, as 1,500,000, the value of which he 

 estimates at from 18,000,0001. to 22.500.000/. Such statements bear 

 upon their faces evident marks of uncertainty, while the trouble any 

 individual must have taken to procure materials even for a guess, shows 

 the call there has been for this species of information. 



In Scotland, where leases are, and have long been, almost universal, 

 and where a lew objectionable machinery was employed, statistical 

 returns were much more easily obtained. Tenants there had indeed 

 been long accustomed to the term, which some have asserted had no 

 little influence in affrighting the farmers of England. In 1800, Sir 

 John Sinclair had, with the assistance of the parochial ministers and 

 others, produced a ' Statistical Account of Scotland,' giving in detail 

 the state of every parish. This had been re-produced between 1834 

 and 1845, in so complete though bulky a form, and the agricultural 

 improvements had been so great, as to justify the committee of 

 ministers who had carried it through, in saying, " They now present 

 not merely a new statistical account, but in a great measure the statis- 

 tical account of a new country." In 1847 the members of the Highland 

 and Agricultural Society of Scotland, by whom agricultural improve- 

 ment hag been greatly promoted, felt the need of statistics, and by 

 mean* of their secretary, Mr. Maxwell Rail, set about obtaining them. 

 They memorialised Sir George Orey on the subject, and were desired 

 to communicate a scheme, which was done, but without result. In 

 1852 they again memorialised the Home Department, offering their 

 Msirtnnce if any project were legalised, but again without anything 

 being effected. In 1853 the government allowed the sum of 5000J. to 

 make the experiment, and Mr. Maxwell Hall determined to endeavour 

 to obtain the returns, though without any legal support. Complete 

 returns were obtained for three counties, Haddington, Roxburgh, and 

 Sutherland. In 1854 he travelled through a great part of Scotland 

 requesting the assistance of farmers ; he succeeded in removing their 

 objections, and convincing them of the advantages ; and by means of 

 local branches of the parent institution succeeded in procuring complete 

 returns for the kingdom. These have been continued annually up to 

 1857, since which, owing to an unfortunate misunderstanding, they 

 have been discontinued. Though there have been a few omissions 

 they are the most complete in their details of any yet known. Though 

 the absence of similar returns of England deprives them of much of 

 their value, they are still, conjoined with thorn of Ireland, of great 

 importance. We give an abstract of the returns for 1856 and 1867. 

 We may premise that the returns are from holders paying a yearly 

 rent of 101. and upwards (exclusive of tenants of woods, villas, feuars, 

 householders and the like) in all the counties of Scotland except Argyle, 

 Inverness, Ross and Cromarty, Sutherland, and that part of Bute which 

 lie* in Arran, in both yean, and in Caithnnw, Sutherland, and Orkney, 

 in 1856, where the returns are only from holders paying a rent of 207. 

 and upwards. Woods, sheep-walks, houses, roods, and waste, are 

 omitted in the calculation. 



In 1856 the number of occupants was 42,919; in 1857 there were 

 48,482. The number of acres under rotation of crop was 3,545,191 in 

 1856 ; of which, of wheat there were 268,828, of barley 166,788, of 

 oaU 918,644, of rye 4020, of bere 15,368, of beans 40,470, of peas 4817, 

 of vetches 18,231, of turnips 460,181, of potatoes 149,351, of mangold 

 8531, of carrot* 1582, of cabbages 1486, of rape 1407, of flax 27-':i. of 

 turnip seed 1760, other crops 196, bare fallow 14,404, and grass and 



hay in rotation 1,475,775, which leaves 1602 of the stated total unac- 

 counted for. The produce was 7,270,952 bushels of wheat, 5,581,970 

 of barley, 31,966,381 of oaU, 6,540,267 tons of tiiniii*. and 418,800 

 tons of potatoes. In 1857 the nnmlxT f acrot under crop was 

 3,5.W,57i. i.f which there were of wheat :>>:',. l.VJ, "f Urley 198,887, of 

 oats 938,613, of rye 5989, of ben- -1.'^'7. ..f beans 39,186, of pea* 

 8687, of vetches 18,418, of turni|.s I7.<;:'1. "f l>tatoea 189.V 

 mangold 2803, of carrots 1401, of cabbage* 1704, of rape 2032, < 

 1534, of turnip seed 2676, of other crops 577, of bare fallow 

 and of grass and hay in rotation 1,459,805, an excess of 989 acr> 

 the stated total. The produce was 6,154,986 bushel 

 6,494,534 of barley, 82,750,763 of oats. 6,690,109 tons of tiiniii 

 430,468 tons of potatoes. In 1856 the total number of horses was 

 179,853, of milch cows 209,960, of other cattle 473,3S4, of calves 

 197,709, of sheep and Inmbs 5,816,560, of swine 128,924. In 1S57 the 

 numbers were, of hones 185,409, of milch cows 303.91-2, of calves 

 195,198, of sheep and lambs 5,683,168, and of im- 1 ln.X'.l. In this 

 account the homes, cows, and swine kept in towns are not included ; 

 and it is estimated that above 300,000 head of stock, and upwards of 

 200,000 acres of tillage are held by occupant* not in these i< 

 Fife and Haddington show the greatest proportional acreage in 

 and in white crops generally, and Aberdeen and Argyle the greatest 

 in tuniips; those counties also possessing the greatest number of liv.- 

 stock. 



In Ireland, where the interest felt might have been supposed to be 

 less, statistical returns have been obtained in an excellent l'rm. .ui.l 

 with no opposition. The task of gathering the returns was confided to 

 the constabulary in 1852, and they have been continued annually since. 

 We append the return of 1857 : In that year the returns show that 

 there were 5,860,089 acres under crop, being an increase of ]oi;,.'i|j 

 acres over the quantity in 1856. Of these 562,581 acres were in wheat. 

 1,978,878 in oats, 246,257 in barley, beans, peas, &c., showing .1 

 increase of cereal crops generally, but a decrease on oats of 58,559 

 acres. On green crops were was a general increase of 45,637 

 potatoes occupying 1,146,920 acres, an increase of 42,216 acres, and flax 

 had decreased from 106,311 acres in 1856 to 98,074 acres in 1S.17 : and 

 turnips had decreased 4,487 acres. Meadow and clover h.id increased 

 from 1,302,787 acres to 1,369,421 acres. 



The produce of the 5,753,681 acres in cultivation in IS.'i'i h < 

 2,738,163 barrels of wheat of 20 stone each ; 14,778,045 barrels of oats 

 of 14 stone each ; 1,367,453 barrels of barley of 16 stone each ; 

 barrels of bere of 16 stone ; 72,165 barrels of rye of 20 stone ; I 

 bushels of beans and peas ; 35,268,845 barrels of potatoes of 20 stone 

 each; 4,581,172 tons of turnips; 287,838 tons of maiigoM wur/el ; 

 332,650 tons of cabbages; 3,006,553 stones (of 14 Ibs.) of flax; and 

 2,492,732 tons of hay. The total number of holders of land wax 

 592,489 ; of whom 36.474 held not more than 1 acre ; 82,085 not 

 more than 5 acres ; 179,931 not more than 15 acres ; 138,424 not more 

 than 30 ; 71,156 not more than 50 ; 53,279 not more than 100 ; 21,292 

 not more than 200; 8248 not more than 600 ; and only 1655 held 

 upwards of 500 acres. 



Live stock, except sheep, had increased remarkably. The number of 

 horses was 600,693, an increase of 27,285 ; the number of cattle 

 3,618,544, an increase of 30,686 ; the number of sheep 3,448,676, a 

 decrease of 245,618. Pigs numbered 1,252,152, an increase of 833,627. 



Road contractors in I 1 later are required to keep the roadsides and 

 fences free from weeds, and surveyors in the other provinces are recom- 

 mended to obtain authority from grand juries, &c., to enforce in them 

 similar regulations. 



Most foreign countries have found the necessity of laving st.r 

 returns of their agricultural produce. Austria, Prussia, France, Den- 

 mark, Hungary, Belgium, and the United States of America, have all 

 siu-h returns more or less perfect, among which those of IScl^ium take 

 a high rank, and are nearly equal to those of Scotland. In France 

 these duties devolve upon a department of the minister of commerce 

 and agriculture. The management of the royal flocks, veterinary 

 schools, and the royal studs ; the distribution of premiums in agri- 

 isiltiiiv : the organisation and presidency ol the superior and special 

 councils of agriculture, are comprised in the duties of this ministerial 

 department. The councils-general of agriculture, &c. in each dqiart. 

 ment of France collect the agricultural statistics from each roinnmn. ; 

 and the quantity of land sown with each description of grain, the 

 produce, and the quantity of live stock for the whole of the kingdom, 

 are accurately known and published by the minister of commerce and 

 agriculture. In Belgium these fact* are ascertaim-d |H-riilii-:illy. but 

 rv year. In the United States of North America, at !) 

 d census, an attempt is made to ascertain the number of each 

 description of live stock, including poultry ; the produce of 

 grains, and of various crops ; the quantity of dairy, orchard, and garden 

 produce, Ac., in each State. There are twenty-nine heads of this 

 branch of inquiry. The only countries in Euro]*' which do not possess 

 statistical account* of their agriculture founded on official docu 

 are Kngland and the Netherlands. On the same principle that a census 

 of the population of a country is useful, it must be useful to !i 

 account of its productive resources. The absence of official information 

 is supplied by estimates of a conjectural character, founded at best only 

 l.serv.uion. In France it was positively ascertained 

 that the average produce of wheat for the whole kingdom is under 



