46 
The Census o/1891 andj Rural Depopulation. 
this total exhibited, so the Registrar-General stated, a decline 
of 8 - 2 per cent, as compared with 1871. * 1 This was, in fact, 
the period when the percentage of diminution was the largest ; 
but the reality of an important decrease during the last decade 
is shown by an examination of the separate figures of the 
different subdivisions. 
Table I . — Classification of the Agricultural Order in the 
Censuses of 1871, 1881, and 1891. 
1871 
Land proprietor 
Farmer, grazier 
Farmer’s son, brother, 
grandson, nephew 
Farm bailiff 
Agricultural labourer 1 
Farm servant (indoor) [ 
Shepherd 
Land surveyor, estate 
agent 
Agricultural machine 
proprietor, attendant 
Land-drainage service 
Others engaged in agri- 
culture 
1881 
Farmer, grazier 
Farmer’s, grazier’s son, 
grandson, brother, 
nephew 
Farm bailiff 
Agricultural labourer, 
farm servant, cottager 
Shepherd 
(Transferred to land, 
house, and ship sur- 
veyor) 
Agricultural machine 
proprietor, attendant 
Agricultural student, 
pupil 
Land-drainage service 
Others engaged in, or 
connected with, agri- 
culture 
1891 
Farmer, grazier 
Farmer’s, grazier’s son, 
grandson, brother, 
nephew 
Farm bailiff 
C Agricultural labourer, 
J farm servant 
I Ilorsekeeper, horse- 
l man, teamster, carter 
Shepherd 
As in 1881 
Agricultural machine 
proprietor, attendant 
(Transferred to all other 
students) 
} Others engaged in, or 
connected with, agri- 
culture 
Table II. — Totals of Population of the Agricultural Order , and oj 
the chief subdivisions in the last five Censuses. 
1851 
1861 
1871 
1881 
1891 
Total of agricul- T 
tural order . j 
1,928,796 
1,833,295 
1,634,192 
1,383,184 
1,336,945 
Farmer, grazier . 
249,431 
249,735 
249,907 
223,943 
223,610 
Farmer’s male re- ) 
latives . . . / 
111,704 
92,321 
76,466 
75,197 
67,287 
Farm bailiff . . 
Agricultl. labour- y 
erand shepherd J 
10,561 
1,253,786 
15,698 
1,188,786 
16,476 
980,178 
19,377 
870,798 
18,205 
780,707 
The total number of farmers returned in 1891 was, indeed, 
1 The 1871 total had to be corrected for comparison, owing to the removal 
of certain classes to another part of the census, c.g. that of Land Proprietors, 
amounting, in 1871, to 22,961, and that of Land Agents, numbering 4,810. 
The removal of agricultural students in 1891 was comparatively unimportant. 
