LETTER TO THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE:
The system of Agricultural Statistics, I.-Average quantities and generalization for a
period of four years, 11.-Temperature, precipitation and sunshine, III-VII-Area of
farm land in the Province, vII.-The acreage and production of field crops, VIII.-Rate
of increase, X.-Comparison of average yield per acre in Ontario and eight States of
the American Union, XI.-The crop of 1885 compared with an average of four years,
XII.-Statistics of horses, cattle, sheep, swine and poultry, xn-xv.-The cheese factory
and creamery systems, XV-XVII.-Values of farm property, implements and live
stock, XVII. Values of principal field crops, XVIII.-The mining industry of the Pro-
vince, XIX.-Condition of the working classes, xx.-Wages of farm laborers, XXI.—
Time, earnings and cost of living of wage-workers, XXII.-Conclusion, XXIII.
ports of animals and their produce, LXXXVII-LXXXVIII.-Trade with the United States
and Great Britain, LXXXIX-XCI-Imports of thoroughbred stock, XCI.-Remarks of
correspondents, XCI-XCVII.-Cheese factories and the quantity and value of their pro-
duct, XCVII-XCVIII.-Comparison of yield in eastern and western districts, XCI-CI.—
Butter-making under the creamery system, CI-CII.-Exports of dairy products, cIII.
-The trade with Great Britain, cIII.-Remarks of correspondents, CIV-CVII.
Values of farm property and crops, CIX.--Average values of property and crops per acre,
CIX-CXI. Rents of leased farms per acre, CXI.-Farm labor and wages, CXII.-Effect
of the use of labor-saving implements on the rate of wages, CXII-CXIII.-Remarks of
correspondents, CXIV-CXX.-Urban labor, wages and cost of living, cxx. -The method
of collecting statistics, cxx.-Rate of weekly wages in April and October, CXXI-CXXIII.
-Yearly earnings and cost of living, CXXIII-CXXVIII.-Quantity and value of a ration
of food, CXXVIII-CXXIX.--Relations of wage-earners to employers and employment,
CXXIX. Payment of wages, CXXX.-Accidents to workers, CXXX.-Industrial strikes,
CXXXI.-Health and safety of workers, CXXXI.-Running time of shops and factories
CXXXII.-Reading rooms and libraries, CXXXII.-General notes on labor and wages,
Introductory remarks CXXXVII.-Gold mines, CXXXVII-CXL.--Silver mines, CXL-CXLIII.—
Iron mines, cXLIII-CXLVI.-Copper, CXLVI.-Zincblende, CXLVI.-Lead, CXLVI.-AS-
bestus, CXLVI.-Lithographic stone, CXLVII.- Building stone, CXLVII-CXLVIII,--Apa-
tite, CXLVIII.-Gypsum,-CXLVIII-CXLIX.
No. VII.-Area and produce of Pease, Corn, Buckwheat, Beans and Hay and Clover.....
No. VIII.-Area and produce of Potatoes, Mangel-wurzels, Carrots and Turnips, area of
Pasture in 1885 and quantity of Butter made in 1884.
No. IX.--Average produce of field crops per acre in 1885, by County Municipalities.....
No. x.-Number of Horses and Cattle in the Province in 1885, by County Municipalities...
No. XI.-Number of Sheep, Pigs and Poultry in the Province in 1885, by County Municipal-
ities..
No. XII.-Clip of coarse and fine wools in 1885, and average clip for the four years 1882-5....
No. XIII. Quantity and value of factory made Cheese and average date of opening and clos-
ing Factories for the season
No. XIV.-Average time of Factories in operation, number of patrons, number of cows
whose milk was supplied, and value of product per cow for Factories making complete
returns...
No. xv.-Average area and produce of Wheat, Barley, Oats and Rye for the four years
1882-5...
No. XVI.- Average yearly area and produce of Pease, Hay and Clover for the four years
1882-5, and of Corn, Buckwheat and Beans for the three years 1882-4-5.....
No. XVII. -Average yearly area and produce of Potatoes, Mangel-wurzels, Carrots and Tur-
nips for the four years, 1882-5...
No. xx.--Ratios of average yields per acre in 1885 to average yield per acre for the four years
1882-85.....
No. XXII.-Average of number and value of Live Stock in 1885 per 1000 acres of cleared
land; also average of wool per fleece in 1885 and for the four years 1882-5........
No. XXIV.-Population of Cities in the Province for the ten years 1876-85, and total popu-
lation of Cities, Villages and Townships for the same period....
No. XXVII.-Values of Wheat, Barley, Oats, Rye, and Pease....
No. XXVIII.-Values of Corn, Buckwheat, Beans, Potatoes, Carrots, Turnips, Hay and
Clover, and Wool
No. XXXV.-Total wages paid to employes for the two weeks ending April 25 and October
31, 1885, in twenty-six towns and cities as given by returns of 496 employers of
of labor, classified by industries..
No. XXXVIII.*-Average of time employed, wages earned and cost of living in nineteen
towns and cities for the year ending October 31, 1885, based on returns collected from
2,637 work-people, classified by occupations..
No. XLII. Statistics of earnings more than, equal to, and less than cost of living for 2637 work-
people in nineteeen towns and cities for the year ending October 31, 1885..
No. XLIII-Quantity and value of food supplies and average cost of a ration of food at certain
institutions in Ontario for the fourteen days ending February 19, 1886....
*By a slip in numbering the Tables of the report, No. XXXVII was passed over.
TO THE HONOURABLE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE:
SIR, I have the honour to present herewith the fourth annual report of the Bureau of Industries.
The statistics of the various industries of the Province have been carefully collected and tabulated, and in every subject of enquiry the first object has been to secure accuracy of statement.
Before referring to the statistics of Agriculture, a word of explanation may be offered' as to the system under which they are prepared.
The extent of farm land occupied and cleared in each township is reported by municipal clerks to the Bureau, together with the area of wheat land sown in the preceding fall, as shown by the assessor's roll. In the month of June returns are received from farmers, giving for each farm the acreage of land occupied and cleared and the number of acres under the various field crops. These are not complete; that is to say, a very considerable number of farmers do not make reports of any sort; but the returns which are made and the total areas of occupied and cleared land as reported by municipal clerks furnish ample data for making very close estimates.
The agricultural statistics of Great Britain have been prepared in this way since the inception of the work there in 1866, and, although there were fears and prejudices which operated at first against the success of the undertaking, it is found that the number of farmers who refuse to give information is growing steadily less from year to year. Nor does any one question the general accuracy of the British statistics. For practical purposes they are as reliable as the returns of the census, and being published annually the tendency of every agricultural interest is clearly indicated.
So much depends on the state of the markets, the success and failure of crops and other conditions, that in computing the agricultural enumeration of a country census
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