STATISTICS OF PRODUCE. 163 



practical instruction afforded must be of the most valu- 

 able kind. Young men, who have already obtained an 

 elementary education, go there to learn the business of 

 life ; and from centres such as these are diffused over 

 the country a class of intelligent, educated, active young 

 men, fitted admirably to take the management of farms 

 on their own account, or to act as land-stewards for 

 others. The extension of such schools and farms 

 throughout the different districts of Ireland is un- 

 doubtedly of the first importance. 



The total expenditure by the commissioners for a 

 year, up to 31st March last, for purposes of education 

 in Ireland, was £127,777, 7s. 



The Returns or Agricultural Produce form an- 

 other of the important series of measures now in opera- 

 tion for the improvement of Ireland. 



They are compiled from information collected by the 

 Constabulary force from every district of the country ; 

 and great care has been taken, both by establishing a 

 variety of checks, and by local information, to insure 

 very great accuracy in the performance of this duty. 

 The power of comparing the detailed extents, in the 

 different returns, with the field divisions in the ordnance 

 maps, insured a degree of correctness probably unat- 

 tainable where the ordnance survey has not been made. 



The returns show, 1st, the "Extent of land under 

 crop," (specifying each kind of crop,) the " Quantity of 

 produce/' the " Area in statute acres/' the " Poor-law 

 valuation/' and the " Population in 1841," of each 

 county, of each province, and of the whole country. 



