6 



recorded in the Census Returns as having occurred among the principal 

 classes engaged in Agriculture during the 20 years 1881-1901 in the 

 County of 



The Board desire to obtain the views of their Agricultural Corre- 

 spondents as to the various causes which have contributed to the 

 changes thus recorded. 



In almost every County of Great Britain a reduction in the number 

 of persons who have returned themselves as engaged in Agriculture has 

 taken place during the last 20 years, and I am to ask you to be good 

 enough to favour the Board with your opinion, based on your know- 

 ledge of the facts in your own district, and on such reliable information 

 as you may be able to obtain, on the following points : 



1. Have the changes indicated by the Census Returns in 1901 con- 



tinued in the same direction since that date V 



2. What in your opinion are the immediate causes of the decline in 



the Agricultural population, naming them in order of importance, 

 in your district V 



3. Is there any difficulty in obtaining land either for Small Holdings 



or Allotments, and if so has this difficulty contributed in any 

 degree to the decline in the Agricultural population ? 



4. The Census figures record the population on the 1st of April. 



Can you say whether the number of Labourers temporarily em- 

 ployed on the land at particular seasons, e.g., for corn harvest, 

 fruit-picking, hop- picking, &c , has declined to a greater or less 

 extent than the resident labourers during the past 10 and 20 years 

 respectively ? 



5. To what extent have alterations in the system of farming in your 



district aifected the demand for labour ? Has any particular agri- 

 cultural industry such as fruit-farming, vegetable-growing, poultry 

 rearing, &c., tended to check the decline in the agricultural 

 population V 



These points are intended as suggestive only, and the Board will be 

 glad to receive the fullest details in connection with them and the 

 subject generally that you may be able to give. 



Accompanying the circular was a statement giving each 

 Correspondent the Census figures for his particular county, as 

 shown in Table I. of Appendix A to this Report. 



The total number of replies received was 248, and the names 

 and addresses of those who furnished them are given for refer- 

 ence in Appendix B. The Board are indebted to those 

 who rendered assistance for the care which they have 

 taken to furnish well-considered replies to the enquiries addressed 

 to them. In very many cases the replies have been prepared after 

 consultation with, or reference to, ia large number of persons able 

 to give special information throughout the county or district 

 in which the Correspondent resides. II has not been found 

 possible to print the whole of the replies in extenso, but they 

 have been carefully analysed and condensed in the summary 

 which follows this Report (pp. 23-112). 



