The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-06 00:00:00

THE AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS 01?

SCOTLAND.

(From the Scotsman.)

The important inquiry into the agricultural statistics
of Scotland, which Government has intrusted to the
Highland Society, is, we are glad to learn, making satis-
factory progress. As our readers are aware, the inquiry
of last year extended to only three counties—Hadding-
ton, Roxburgh, and Sutherland; this year it will embrace
the whole of Scotland. The machinery by which the
necessary information is being collected is much the
same as that adopted in the case of these three counties,
with a few slight alterations, which the experience of
last year suggested.
The limited inquiry of 1853 was farther advanced than
the present one at this period of the year ; but this has
arisen not so much, if at all, from the greater magnitude
of the work to be performed and the results to be attained
on this occasion, as from the late period at which the
society received the authority of Government to make a
commencement. No step even of a preliminary nature
could be taken "till this authority was given, and nothing
could therefore be done till the month of June. In suc-
ceeding years—for it is to be inferred that the inquiry
will be an annual one—the same delay will not take
place, and the machinery, which had this year to be or-
ganised, will not have to be called into existence.
This machinery, we may state, consists of enumerators
and committees for each parish or district of the country,
every enumerator and every member of the committee
being a farmer. The duties of enumerator are much
less onerous than they were last year. He had then to
serve and collect the schedules, and to examine and
return them to Mr. Hall Maxwell ; but this was not
only a laborious but an invidious task, for many farmers
objected to pass the details of their crop and
stock under the review of a neighbour. To obviate
this difficulty, the schedules are now issued by and
returnable directly to Mr. Maxwell. The services
of enumerators in regard to schedules will only
be required where occupiers have failed to make
returns in the ordinary manner ; after a certain date the
enumerators will be asked to procure these returns in
the mode which they may think best. They will also,
along with the committee, prepare an estimate of the
crops ; and this is the most important part of their
duty. These estimates will not be given in till the end
of October or beginning of November, and they wilt
form as close an approximation as possible to the ave•
rage acreable yield of each crop grown in the district.
One of the first things to be undertaken in connection
with the inquiry was evidently the preparation of lists of
the occupiers of land to whom schedules were to be sent.
It was originally proposed to ask the inspectors of the
poor for the different parishes to turnish these. Ultimately,
however, it was resolved to request the sanction of the
Board of Inland Revenue to apply to the Property-tax
Assessors for copies of their lists. This sanction was at
once given ; circulars were at once issued to the asses-
sors, and in cases where the assessors refused to furnish
the required information application was made to
the ,parochial inspectors. For future inquiries the
lists will, of course, require only a revision. While
these lists were being made up Mr. Maxwell visited
most of the principal county towns, and held pub-
lic meetings, which were influentially attended, and
at which he, explained the nature and objects
of the inquiry. We believe it was Mr. Maxwell's inten-
tion to extend his visits to the northern counties and to
Orkney, but the arrangements necessary in contempla-
tion of the Berwick Show made it impossible for him to
fulfil this intention. The result of all the meetings which
he held was highly satisfactory.
The next step was to arrange suitable districts. This
having been done, the services of upwards of a hundred
well-qualified enumerators were obtained, as well as the
assistance of nearly 900 influential farmers, to act as
members of committee in their respective parishes.
The list of occupants having been prepared, the
schedules to be filled up with the requisite information
were issued. The schedule consists of two sections—
one for crop, the other for stock. Under the first the
farmer is asked to state, as nearly as he can, the acre-
age of his farm, and how that acreage is cropped—how
many acres be has of wheat, barley, oats, turnips, po-
tatoes, &o.—how many of grass under rotation, and of
permanent pasture. In the second, the number of his
horses, cows, &c., is to be stated.
The issue of these schedules is now completed, except in
Bute and Arran, the Upper Ward of Lanarkshire, thee
parish of Kincardine (Ross-shire), and the parish of
Ellen, for which no lists have yet been received from the
assessors. They have been forwarded to about 47,000
occupiers of land ; this must not, however, be regarded
as the number of farms in the country, because it some-
times happens that one man has a dozen farms, and in
one icstance 28 farms were included in one schedule.
A large proportion of these schedules hare now been
returned, and they are in course of being arranged and
tabulated.
Last year these schedules were sent to all persons hav-
ing farms above two acres in extent. This year it was
resolved to limit the issue in the Lowlands to parties
paying not less than 101. of rent, and in the Highlands
to persons paying 201. and upwards. But as it is de-
sirable that information should be obtained regarding
the extent and produce of land rented below these
rates, the enumerators have been furnished with forms
of returns exhibiting the number of occupiers, the gross
average so occupied in their respective districts, the
average rotation of cropping observed, and the total
estimated amount of stock possessed by such tenant.
As last year, each enumerator will, with the assist-
ance of the committee of his district, prepare an esti-
mate of the average produce of the various crops
grown in his district ; and Mr. Maxwell has requested
that, in addition to the estimates of this year's crop,
committees shall report what, in their opinion, has
been the average yield of the different crops over
an ordinary period—say of five years—in order that
a comparison might at once be made with the returns
for the present year, shpwing whether they are in excess
oanst ht of
those
May the
Although
or deficiency of an ordinary average. Without such a
standard, Mr. Maxwell observes in his circular to the
enumerators, this information could not be acquired from
ssiusaecemnsottthhaenm 4501. y th°
the annual returns for a series of
yeuanrsdertaking may
The magnitude of the pre.
judged
postage of
amountsf rom thteo factn o
less that:taa
Hall Maxwell,
and their nn o
inquirydoubt
highland
in every way to
were, we
haveth
the results may not be obtained early
I"2ranwu
three counties taken last
justify the confidence reposed in them by Government.
in-
defatigablewi that,ll ien ct ho ne
c handseea t a
ro fs
secretary
satisfactorily
1.

CROPS IN THE NORTH OF SCOTLAND.—An Inverness
sown n
yield
leiladving greater. bee n largerT he
quality
than
of
corn circular says :—" Of wheat the crop is abundant,
fine, but perhaps not outstripping
nlruindlit my
sometthl Le gbryraeei istshpaosft generallyasonild
that of our two preceding harvests, which equalled the
finest of the Lothian growths. In Ross and Moray-
shires,iea ia rust
vicinity of
inth
ito
unex-
ceptionably fine-631b to 6411 b. per bushel, being the
general weight of that which has already been brought
to market. The acreage of barley is considerable,
and the produce univerally good. Seeing a great
bulk of straw, however, I question whether weights
will attain the extreme of those of last year. The
cultivation of oats being principally confined to the
higher districts, there still remains a proportion of
the crop unsecured. That which is stacked is as fine
as can be desired, and mealing uncommonly well. As
regards our potato crop, it is gratifying to say that the
disease will not tell to the extent dreaded at an earlier
period of the season, when a total destruction was
feared ; and it is not likely, from the extra extent
planted, that any deficiency in the supply will he
felt ; but it may be noted that tindersizes of cups are
likely to prevail."
We have received the following story, contained is a
letter from the Baltic, written to a relative at Thorn
Falcon, near this town :—" Two or three Marines were
French,fellt to
on
wh seonmt
he
e fo outpostrnler, idutyno
obedience
nac lei k
toee number
order
orders
ormeocf
received,
genera
the ground on the firing of a cannonaf the fort, but
h fired de
came up the hill, and on a gun ...eing own went
itnhefuFtarlerne.chmseonontoafstetar.ntheuertehneyh decided
o n
nototbos edrov isnog
ocnrei cried of
ut, hstoe oclir
ehaci smecos,
nwti , a
oa
s:
hel
right, Bill, Baragu3y bobs.
n .
tt the gwe n
he ri
ma l
8,
elf likewise
down,