The Agricultural Returns of 18G6 and 18G7. 229 
Per Cent. 
3. Proportion to c«7/;'yi(to; ; of pasture 21) 
4. „ „ of arable 71 
5. Proportion to am?v/j of corn crops Go 
G. „ ,, of srci;n crops 28 
7. „ „ of bare fallow 7 
If necessary the corn and green crops might be subdivided 
on the same plan. 
In this wa\' the whole acreage of the county is accounted for, 
and the yearly fluctuations in the mode of culture would be 
indicated in the clearest possible way. 
On the plan adopted by the Board of Trade it is made to 
appear that the percentage of corn crops of Bedfordshire in 
18G7 had decreased to 46 0 from 46'7 in 1866 — the fact being 
that there was an increase of 1600 acres under corn in 1867 ; the 
inclusion of 5376 acres more pasturage in 1867 than in 1866 had 
the effect of increasing the area under cultivation— the unit of 
value — and thus the accuracy of the comparison is destroyed. 
In regard to the percentages of live stock the basis adopted is 
the cultivated acreage (as returned), and is therefore open to 
similar objection : until the acreage available and used for the 
sustenance of cattle is accurately determined the better plan would 
be to estimate the percentages of stock to the total area of each 
county, and, as a supplementary measure, to the population. 
Under the circumstances thus affecting the principle^ upon 
which the calculations in the Returns have been made it has not 
been thought advisable to make any use of them whatever on the 
pi^esent occasion. The difficulties involved in systematising the 
Returns of Agriculture, and getting them into a proper working 
order are fully appreciated, and it is only as a contribution 
towards their perfection that the criticism thus offered has found 
a place in the pages of this Journal. At any rate it is offered in 
the utmost freedom from any desire to disparage the labours of 
the Board of Trade, which have already been productive of 
much benefit to the public in the information supplied. 
Since the foregoing was written I have had the advantage of 
hearing Mr. Caird read an interesting paper upon our Food 
R esources before the Statistical Society of London, in which, while 
reviewing some of the facts displayed in the Agricultural Returns, 
and showing, with his usual ability, the capabilities of statistics 
when judiciously employed, he expressed an opinion adverse to 
the publication by the Government of any estimates of agricultural 
produce, for the reason that there would be a danger of such esti- 
mates being mistaken for actual facts by some, who would be 
greatly misled thereby. An official publication ought, it was 
