PREFACE. THE FOLLOWING LETTERS were written, and many of them published in the Morning Herald, in reply to the question, 'Where shall we get meat?' The decrease which has taken place in the production of grain and meat in the United Kingdom has led its civic inhabitants to ask the question, From whence shall we procure our supplies of food?' Statistical information, respecting the agricultural products of European states, is not published by our Government in a separate form, but is mixed with the statistics of population, exports and imports, &c., and spread through a large number of blue-books, which contain a mass of figures. However tempting they may be, to a lover of statistics, they do not present much attraction to ordinary readers; nor do they contain the latest information respecting the state of the agriculture of the several countries to which. they refer. The writer of these letters, anxious for more perfect information, with respect to the agriculture of foreign countries, endeavoured, by correspondence, to acquaint himself with the details of production in every country in Europe, and finding some difficulty in obtaining information, applied to the Foreign Office. The following correspondence took place between him and the Foreign Office and Board of Trade. Both of these departments have acceded to his request, and the Secretaries of Legation will in future furnish the latest intelligence respecting foreign agriculture. MY LORD, (From Mr. Fisher to Earl Russell.) Waterford, April 20, 1865. The greatly increased dependence of these countries, upon foreign nations, for supplies of grain, cattle, butter, &c., makes all that relates to foreign agriculture of much importance. I have for some time been studying the subject of Foreign Agriculture in connection with a work upon the system of Landholding, upon which I am engaged, and I have found the information respecting this subject much less perfect than it might be made. The reports of the Secretaries of Legation, are very full respecting the commerce of foreign nations, and I think if they were equally complete respecting agriculture, it would be most useful. I beg to enclose three queries, and if you approve of them, and would be so good as to have them forwarded officially to the several Secretaries of Legation, directing them to reply, it would furnish some most useful and important information. I have the honour to be, my lord, yours very respectfully, JOSEPH FISHER. To the Right Hon. Earl Russell, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. (Queries enclosed.) 1. The area under each description of crop? (From A. H. Layard, Esq., M.P., Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, to Mr. Fisher.) Foreign Office, April 27, 1865. SIR, With reference to your letter of the 20th instant, I am directed by Earl Russell, to request you to communicate to the Board of Trade, the questions connected with the reports of Her Majesty's Secretaries of Legation (which you do not appear to have enclosed in your letter), in order that that Department may judge how far it is desirable that they should be forwarded officially abroad. I am, sir, your most obedient humble servant, Joseph Fisher, Esq., Waterford. A. H. LAYARD. (Mr. Fisher to the Right Hon. Milner Gibson, M.P., President of the Board of Trade.) Waterford, May 1, 1865. SIR, I am requested by the Foreign Office to submit, through you, to the Board of Trade, the enclosed questions respecting foreign agriculture, on which, it appears to me, to be desirable for the public interests that Her Majesty's Secretaries of Legation should be requested to afford the latest and most reliable information. I have to thank you for your kindness in giving me access to the information possessed by the Statistical Department of the Board of Trade, but the information is not so full as it might be made. I trust the Board of Trade will approve of my suggestion, and that directions will be given to Her Majesty's Secretaries of Legation to furnish the desired information. I am, sir, yours very respectfully, To the Right Hon. Milner Gibson, M.P., (Queries as above.) JOSEPH FISHER. SIR, (From Sir J. Emerson Tennent to Mr. Fisher.) Office of Committee of Privy Council for Trade, I am directed by the Lords of Committee of Privy Council for Trade, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 1st inst., and to state in reply, that my Lords have requested the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, to instruct Her Majesty's Secretaries of Legation, to report upon the Agricultural Statistics collected abroad, and to send home copies of such returns. I am, sir, your obedient servant, Mr. Joseph Fisher, Waterford. J. EMERSON TENNENT. The latest collection of the statistics of European agriculture, with which the writer is acquainted, is a very valuable work by M. Maurice Block, upon the agriculture of different states.* It was published in Paris in 1854, but it does not give * Des Charges de l'Agriculture dans les divers Pays de l'Europe, par Maurice Block. Paris, 1854. |