•Farming of Oxfordshire. 
275 
own county, who can possibly guess with accuracy the produce 
of the United Kingdom ? There can be no great difficulty, with 
proper machinery, in obtaining correct information. Statistics 
of much greater intricacy and involving greater expense are ob- 
tained in matters of less vital importance. 
With a little trouble stock might be classified, and thus data 
would be furnished for tlie construction of tables giving a useful 
estimate of agricultural progression. Possibly a sulky open-field 
farmer might object to give the information, an enthusiastic 
experimentalist might exaggerate his crop, or some grumbling 
old yeoman underrate his produce ; but generally information 
would be cheerfully and accurately given. Most probably 
a return of this nature would check useless and gambling 
speculations, and gradually enhance the value of corn, when 
there was really the prospect of a bad crop. Wild speculations 
are always productive of much misery, and on the other hand 
the farmer would reap the benefit of a legitimate rise, which is 
now generally pocketed by the wealthy merchant. 
In conclusion it may be observed that any person in running 
through a county is apt to be deceived and draw erroneous in- 
ferences from the facts which come before him. No one is more 
sensible of his inability to do justice to the task he has under- 
taken than the writer of this Report. He much wishes that 
abler hands had been employed to follow the great and talented 
Arthur Young, and trusts that no invidious comparison may be 
drawn between his most insignificant production and the last 
carefully written and elaborate Report. He also regrets that the 
nature of his employment has not permitted him to devote more 
time to its careful consideration. He hopes that if any great 
omission or serious blunder has occurred it may be leniently 
dealt with. Should a remark have been made of such a nature 
as to wound the feelings of any person, it should not be imputed 
lo any intention to offend, and it should be borne in mind, that in 
endeavouring to deal even-handed justice, it is impossible to 
avoid displeasing some. If the indifference of some landlords 
has been mentioned, the carelessness and apathy of many tenants 
have not been spared. These are painful sores that must be 
probed, however unpleasant to the operator or harrowing to the 
patient. It is the earnest hope of the writer that rigorous land- 
lords and slovenly tenants may become extinct before another 
Report is made. The authors of future Reports will then have a 
more pleasing and comparatively easy task. 
P.S. — As names are not mentioned, some may imagine that the information 
is gathered from insufficient authorities. To assure all such that the intelli- 
gence has been gleaned from informants of the greatest practical experience 
