Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1853-11-12
A-r;su,.ural Statistics.

Considerable srcs has hccn mai tis year towarus
supplying of the siirrdli If social
economy The Board OF Trade have procured. and
already published the agricultural, statistics, OF three
Scotch eoun,es-EcxbGrgh, hdinS,on, and Sutherland
for the eoh Of last Nay; aud have taken s,eps pro-
cure the same returns in two English coun,esNorfolk
and lIan,s-Gor the lIth Of last July Nothing he
more easy than such returns aud the only wonder l. that
considering their importance they have not long formed
n regular part Of the statistical information annually
poured the country Every year the probable results
Of tie harvest OF frequent inquiry aud some
ec;ura estimate OF them - necessary TO all kinds OF
speculation These estimates made commonly on the
strength Of private reports aai correspondence IN acul
tura Journals they often received with suspicion, and
sometimes discreditei by tbs event The truth is, that
the circumstances affecting the aggregate produce of the
couu,ry various admit OF near calculation. Tn
favorable weather never uuvcrsalon partial a,
orcoursc the quantity oiran will affect light soils aud
heavy soils very differently. bad sowing time, bal
,nrr and bad harvest time will produce dvtcut re-
salts This year. example tcre has been almost uni
form decrease IN the breadth OF Land under wheat and the
summer has bccn almost uniformly uupropitous while the
harvcs; time has been much more favourable IN some parts
U England than in othes Then the poverty OF the far
ncrs and the they had suffered 10y the
low prices of previous years have their several effects
We defy correct estimate OF the guam
ty Of wheat aud oher produce To be expected in this
coun,ry from the provincial reports, welniomed aud
: as them
there no kind OF OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES IL De railways,
sphudiug cotton spiuung, or buying and selling in the
funds-wh ch viii not be materially Affected by rise or
tall OF aOs quarter in price Of wueat. Yet while
all kinds Is accumulated on our tables aud
shelves tar beyond the power OF human industry TO per
curscrily means used TO tell Us and
merchants what sort OF harvest Nc may expect and
even so late December those who immediately
Interested in asking the question have other
than ride through the country, hook at the ckyards,
listen TO the ,hrashug machine the Hal, visit the
rI,f-a and ..ifl a lnrla al
The new inquiry Is made by the Board OF Trade, in
Hampshire through Mr.. uawey, aud in Norfolk through
Sir John Wam, both OF them Poor LA" Inspectors, aud
having he presumed, rather less TO do IN that Of
ice few years agu. These gentlemen communicates,
ia the hrs instance, with chairman Of the board OF
guardians, whom they request 10 form small statistical
committees consisting OF leading agTiculiut' whether
Poor Law guardians not. THIS OF the Poor Law
machinery, is unnecessary to say, made with the sane
OF the central board. The committees employ the
reevus.uhcers Tor cnunerators, and send them with
letters vi Recommendations the officers and occupers OF
land parish. By this chain OF organization there
distributed al occupiers holding much as two
II land forms containing the required heads OF in
formation, and capable OF being flied up III five minutes
10y any person OF ordinary intelligence The crns 50 till
"a up 0e collected aud classified, give the
Aggregate results III itelgibe shape There III
TACT hed up: OF tie land gnder cult
On, seScy Tor wheat barley oats rye, peas Ini beans,
yStcncS potatoes, turnps or carrots man
gold urz beetroo clbOIges clover !ucerne other
artificial grasses meadow pasture, lax, chicory,
aop Other crops aud fIlow the other uf live stock d
yiicI INTO horses mich cows other cattle, sheep and
lambs aui swine. When considers hos easily aay
IFiuuT whether he holds or two thousand
the uumher OF under these several crops
the number ri as live stock aud how easily also the inor
A.uu. ooe,,d and arranged by EXISTING officers,
Ncry iuu- "a AZ leisure, only wonder the iuquTy
made b-.u.c, and should uOpcIt viii ue
~. uu.Nvistl. The F.cucH aud the Americans,
de-. aud thHl! peopIed territory have
n.Je similar inquiries ami the result - thought To have
effect a merchants IN their commercial tran-ac
ton-, aud preventing much Wild speculation. At this mo-
rut widest discrepancy vi esumtIeas to the
quantity OF wacat and corn ia tue land We nave deem
tud, a very simple, impartial and unsupported author
~, the Iud under wheat has been less this year by
iogrth uNlu the bad secdmr aud that oi these three
f,urtl- Weld will be much than half the
average. Ifths be the truth, at once that
there ~Ould be dread the approach OF famine,
JAt Indls now the gauAry Oiihe world aud
REPORTS hcr exchange wall give fresh activity
rdd- OF agrcultura-t and sailors employed IN get
tn together aud bringing TO these shores the produce OF
all clucs.
Undoubtedly the publication of such statistics, the
best posib, authority, that of the farmers 'hen'
selves eve OF local officers, will remove some
What ui that uncertainty and ignorance winch now iJuTe
the agrcultut aud transfer much OF his legitimate
hts other classes. The simple fact Of only trerourth-
the usual nifty Of land having been sJwn with wheat
the Near itself Opcued the vi thcpub
lie hat earlier 10 the dcarh now coming upon US
had b.cn Ouy placed beyond doubt. Wnrat has been
rising mp iy inr the last r Eve weeks; but lat. II,
III. week ending September 3, the average only 5Us
a.. pcrh,p. 2us bcoS whIt it would have been had
the a.ricuiurists and dealers possessed such
mcgrs al attenuation - those WATCH the Board OF
Trade is making attempt provide. It is most
important, wi'hn view TO the proper supply OF our wants
that merchants shDui know the probable deficiency
the earliest 2nblc date. When dearth begins to SHOW
itself late in tie year, foreign States Immediately do all
hey retain within! their shores all the corn that
happens &c there, whether native imported. At
thi- moment great part of EUopeis closed against Us
Now, had thc present OF things been Ortsecn III the
sumner should undoubtedly have placed ourselves
b,ord the inIence OF all iiherl measures by drawing
towards this country much larger importation than
what has taken place Possibly should have secured
within tie port ct London good deal of the grain nov
pniluc in the fleet which the barbIruus policy
uf tie CIR has accumulated in the Suna mouth OF the
Danube. The statistical experiment only fail and that
only for time, hy the iIcOmpeteucy OF the oihccIs en-
poycd, the reluctance Of farmers to evidence
which they may fear lind used against them. In year
two the proper course WILDE aceraiued aud the III.
formation procured in authentic aud copOu- shape
any OF the miscellaneous and often Improbable matter
that swClls oar G!ue-boOks t. huge proportions We
need scarcely repeat Tow much useful think the
information will be 10 this instance than in Others We
could mention