166 report— 1877. 



i. Professional 891,100 



ii. Domestic 0,804,709 



iii. Commercial 1,035,737 



iv. Agricultural 2,989,154 



v. Industrial 0,425,137 



vi. Indefinite 13,338,704 



31,484,001 



The individuals composing these classes are alike in one respect — that they are 

 all consumers, and need to he provided with the means of subsistence. They differ, 

 however, greatly in another — in that only a portion are producers, and on the pro- 

 ductive power of this portion must the whole rest for support. It is impossible 

 minutely to separate the one from the other ; but we cannot greatly err in adopting 

 the above division into classes, and for the present purpose may include the third, 

 fourth, and fifth as the productive, and the remaining three — the first, second, 

 and sixth — as those whose labour does not actually contribute to the supply on 

 which they, in common with the producers, depend for sustenance. This, in a 

 sense, the commercial class does. Strictly speaking, the merchant may be no more 

 essential to the welfare of the community than the schoolmaster; but the one 

 assists in procuring the means whereby life is supported, whilst the other, in this 

 respect, does not consume a portion of that on which existence depends. Thus, 

 separating the population into two divisions, we shall have : — 



Producers 10,450,028 



Non-producers 21,034,03:" 



oo 



81,484,661 



the latter being very nearly double the former. Further dividing the class of 

 producers, we find those engaged in agricultural operations to be 2,989,154, and 

 the industrial and commercial together 7,400,874; in round numbers three, and 

 seven and a half millions respectively. 



I. The agricultural class embraces those engaged in the cultivation of the soil, 

 whether "in fields and pastures, 1,447,481 ;" "in woods, 7801;" or "in gardens, 

 103,095," including not alone the actual agricultural labourers, shepherds, farm 

 servants, and_ gardeners, but all those returned simply as landed proprietors, all 

 farmers, graziers, bailiffs, agents, and others whose sole or principal employment is 

 upon or about the land. It further comprises all persons engaged about animals, 

 such as horsekeepers, gamekeepers, drovers, cattle-salesmen, fishermen, and others, 

 the business of all of whom is the capturing, rearing, and dealing in beasts, birds, 

 and fishes — the whole class thus comprehending all whose manual or mental labour, 

 whose time, thought, and capital, are devoted to calling into existence and utilizing 

 the various products of animal and vegetable life. It is obvious, however, that not 

 all of these are engaged solely in the production of human food, which numbers, 

 for our present purpose, it is important to ascertain. The value of the wool and 

 flax grown at home has been estimated at per cent, of the whole produce, that of 

 the oats at 13 per cent., of the barley at 11 per cent., of the peas, beans, and rye at 

 4 per cent. ; in all, 34 per cent. The corn and hay for the support of horses not 

 employed in farming operations is of considerable value, whilst a large number of 

 woodmen and gardeners, grooms and gamekeepers, are solely engaged in minister- 

 ing, not to subsistence, but to enjoyment, or in other useful operations. To dis- 

 cover the exact proportion thus employed would be difficult; but it cannot be 

 deemed an undue estimate if we say that one fourth at least must devote their 

 labours to other objects than the raising of food. If we make a deduction to this 

 extent, it follows that two and a quarter millions of the population axe sufficient to 

 produce all the home-grown food. This is estimated at about three fifths of the 

 whole consumption of the kingdom, the remainder being derived from foreign sup- 

 plies, received in exchange for the produce of our mines and manufactori 

 suming, as may fairly be done, that each individual employed in manufacturing 

 operations will produce goods for export equivalent at least to the food which he 



