i4 International Agricultural Institute, 



why it has been possible in a few months to issue so large a 

 volume concerning twenty-two countries. The publication 

 has been issued as the second volume of the Annals of the 

 Institute for 1909. The monographs are of special value 

 because, before publication on the responsibility of the 

 Delegates to the Permanent Committee, each section was sub- 

 mitted to the respective Governments, thereby ensuring 

 additional accuracy. 



II. The next duty of the Department referred to the collec- 

 tion of the following statistics : — (a) Area under various 

 crops according to the last official agricultural census, in 

 countries where such an inquiry is made, with a comparative 

 statement from previous statistics, if possible, the object 

 being to indicate the importance of taking an agricultural 

 census; (b) comparative data, from the annual statistics, of 

 the area under various crops in 1908, and during the ten 

 preceding years; (c) a tabular summary of the world's pro- 

 duction of the seven crops which the Institute intends to 

 record from the 1st January, 19 10, by means of periodical 

 reports, viz., wheat, barley, oats, rye, maize, rice, and cotton ; 

 (d) a census of farm animals in the adhering countries accord- 

 ing to the latest official returns; (e) import and export 

 ("special trade ") statistics regarding the seven agricultural 

 commodities already mentioned. 



In spite of the difficulties and magnitude of this under- 

 taking — e.g. delay in the supply of statistics by various 

 Governments — and of the labour of converting the different 

 figures to one unit, it has been possible to prepare tabular 

 statements regarding agricultural production and cattle. The 

 work must be carefully checked and amplified before publica- 

 tion, we hope at an early date. But even as it now exists, it 

 is of- great service to the General Assembly. 



Various methods have been tried to complete the work 

 relating to importation and exportation. An endeavour has 

 been made to collect statistics of all products in a small number 

 of countries, as well as statistics of a few products in all the 

 countries. The results, however, could not be satisfactory 

 owing to the existing condition of the statistics of foreign 

 trade, and the information which has been collected does not, 

 in our opinion, usefully indicate the direction, or the extent, 



