History of the New York Census. 



201 



improvements in agriculture and household manufactures, 

 by the distribution of premiums, and the emulation excited 

 through county societies. 



This society attempted to collect through its own agen- 

 cies, in 1820, a series of statistics upon agriculture, in which 

 the methods of tillage and cost of cultivation of the princi- 

 pal crops were to be shown, and at its own expense issued 

 a circular and schedule for this object. With the exception 

 of the admirable statistical report of the county of Albany by 

 John Preston, and the essays prepared by members of the 

 Board and published in their Transactions, these labors 

 were barren of recorded results. The attention drawn to 

 the subject, may have improved the quality and quantity 

 of our products, but they have left nothing for our com- 

 parison. Probably the earliest attempt made in America, 

 to obtain agricultural statistics was by President Wash- 

 ington, who, in the summer of 1791, addressed circulars 

 for this purpose to persons selected with reference to their 

 intelligence in the several states. His questions were 

 eight in number, and referred to the fee simple, prices and 

 rental of farming lands, — their situation and propor- 

 tions of arable pastures and wood lands; — the average 

 product and market prices of wheat, rye, barley, oats, 

 buckwheat, beans, peas, potatoes, turnips, grasses, hemp, 

 flax, &c, with the common mode of tillage ; — the average 

 prices of farm stock (specifying each kind), and the prices 

 of beef, veal, mutton, pork, butter and cheese ; — the price 

 of wrought iron used in making farming utensils, and a 

 statement of taxes. 



This circular, with its answers, is published in " Wash- 

 ington's Letters on Agriculture, addressed to Arthur 

 Young," and will forever stand a monument of the dis- 

 criminating sagacity, and exceeding good sense of the 

 illustrious Washington. 



The Society for the Promotion of Agriculture, Arts and 



[lYans. v.~] 26 



