REPOKT, 



To THE SECRETARY OF THE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE 

 AND FISHERIES. 



SIR, 



THE reduction in the number of persons returned as Decrease o: 

 engaged in Agriculture in Great Britain has been one of the Agriculturj 

 most prominent features of the Census Returns for the past Population 

 50 years, and it has never been more apparent than in the 

 figures for 1901, when a decline of about 20 per cent, in the 

 number of agricultural labourers during the preceding decade 

 was indicated. The special circumstances existing at the time 

 when the Census of 1901 was taken probably tended to ex- 

 aggerate in some degree this apparent reduction, but when all 

 allowances are made the significance of the returns is suffi- 

 ciently evident. Much public attention has been and continues 

 to be aroused in the question of what is somewhat loosely 

 termed " Rural Depopulation," but during the long interval 

 which elapses between one Census and another no statistical 

 measure is available of the intensity of the movement. In 

 the absence of definite data there is obviously a risk that 

 observations made under exceptional conditions or over limited 

 areas may be put forward and accepted as characteristic of the 

 whole country. Generalisations in regard to British Agricul- 

 ture are peculiarly difficult, in view of <the wide diversity of 

 conditions prevalent in different counties, and any series of 

 observations can therefore have little validity unless they are 

 made on a uniform basis and at points which are distributed 

 with some geographical regularity. 



The Board, in their staff of Agricultural Correspondents, Circular of 

 possess facilities for obtaining observations by well-qualified Enquiry, 

 observers, distributed in every county of Great Britain. It 

 appeared desirable, therefore, to take steps to elicit the views of 

 this body of competent observers with regard to the present 

 movement of the agricultural population and the causes 

 which affect it. With this object, the following circular letter 

 was issued to each of the Agricultural Correspondents of the 

 Board in March last : 



I am directed by the Board of Agriculture and Fisheries to call your 

 attention to the accompanying statement showing the changes which are 



