TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 117 



than sevenfold, — results which may be pronounced by no means equal 

 to those obtained by English farmers. The produce of barley, not much 

 of which is grown in the department, does not exceed 17 bushels per 

 acre ; of oats not quite 20-| bushels per acre are obtained. 



Mr. Porter then entered at length into the arrangement and expense 

 of the machinery necessary for the effective performance of correspond- 

 ing labours in Britain, showing that a plan of comprehensive inquiry 

 by public agents might be set in activity which should really be a means 

 of saving large sums of money to this country in cases of deficient har- 

 vests and fluctuating prices of grain, and might have moreover a natural 

 and necessary tendency to place the nation as far as possible, and for a 

 long series of years beyond the probability of scarcity. 



On the Criminal Statistics of England and Wales, 

 By R. W. Rawson, Esq. 



The author stated that although the numbers of the two sexes in 

 European countries are nearly equal, the proponderance being some- 

 what on the side of the females, yet, both in England and France, the 

 proportion of male to female criminals is about -i to I , and that result 

 varies but slightly during several years. The average annual number 

 of persons committed or bailed to take their trial during the last five 

 years, was 22,174 ; the difference between the highest and lowest 

 annual number during the period was 1 4 per cent. Taking the twenty 

 principal offences in their relative order, according to the number of 

 persons annually committed for each, they will stand thus : — 



1. Simple larceny 12,303 



2. Stealing from the person . 1,539 



3. Housebreaking and burglary united .... 1,007 



4. Stealing by servants 955 



5. Assaults 756 



6. Receiving stolen goods 683 



7. Riot and breach of the peace 607 



8. Resisting or refusing to aid peace-officers 579 



9. Frauds and attempts to defraud 425 



10. Robbery and attempts at robbery 392 



11. Uttering counterfeit coin 318 



12. Sheep-stealing 292 



13. Embezzlement 262 



14. Manslaughter 209 



15. Rape and attempts to ravish 188 



16. Stealing from houses to the value of 5/.. . 178 



17. Stealing of fixtures, trees, and shrubs. , . . 163 



1 8. Horse-stealing 1 55 



19. Poaching 153 



20. Keeping disorderly houses 145 



