MISLEADING GRAIN STATISTICS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 684, 8 December 1909, Page 10

MISLEADING GRAIN STATISTICS.

fIS'/--:•>7/ Replying-;to an^'inquiry : by: a-reporter'.yester-' ;:.j'^ ; ''(Minister: /for/ -that'-; arrangements '■'■) were completed 'with/regard ,tb a'new mothod I'-iSH'i"'. of ■ couipiUhg/hgricultur'al: statistics':' He. alluded 'iK;:Bp/>to ;the .fact:- that: the; Agricultural': and Pastoral /©':•>: ; SS?^ : :ttions!;.disap'provvhg^ofvth ! method..as rvS^iVf.% being//inaccurate;/regarding '■;■'■ the/.quantity of ; S«:'X-'-V;;'Brain. ; the Sf y : *S>?'.6tatisti(^\S7erb:./accurate;;;-there /ought//to'be millions Aof: bushels-,'bf 'wheat in /the ■' country, />: |/., ; what< was'knbwn/to exist; /Ho;wasinow' i|:J ! aJk" /It' had':'cost-,'.'about

*i//K ; ;' iSSOOO./to ./collect the : sfcitistics-; un'der the einst-: i'iV!-;v:V.;i»S method;/ahd,/iif thb/prbpbscd 'method, wore :UV':;f:/o ; 6UCcessful;-;as/ho; thought/ ; it;iwould' be, -a'sav<PsS^;:?:'ng.;:of would,ho,effected;.,'.There :was/to I /';■.';';!;/:' 'bb-a'division-fii the'.mothbds as.follows:—(1)/A I 'fy'! : i;K: correct /estimate'i-of ;the:/grain > ; prbduced,';and;' /■^///■'■ f '(2)/'an; estimate■'of-the'v^area'/under -grain, ///S^//t n rhira / /grasses,:etc/:>./Regarding -the first,; he'i '/;• y«:/."/thought.that/.thb"(results would :be fairly. ac-p/;-//./';«urate,/arid, ..as'to/the- he had devised -meaiis//which :would/'-ledd-;to/valuable : in-'. ■//;;:/;;'lormation/feing/obtairied.//: 1 •;■;/' :"/■/; >■ : tisr«|^Sy-^WE'iv|KAr^ /^///i////-^^//^//fßljTolcEraßh^i'rcßs'-;A«•oclailon,i-;:"-. ■■/ / /'w''-"'-'', '■:■'/■'-!'-''■ '"-■/; : •'■':-"'//:ft/ J;:; -''"-Core, December 1. ■ /;^/:/:/;-'/;/;The/fi'st /day/ of/;the; Gbre : A;/and-:p. i sso . :;:•/ /•/■fe-'.eiatidii's .twenty-ninth";annual /show was ;held f - 'K'Sr i ' l ;V 6 ? o<l - : ? e^'ler '/*^ ne entries of stock:con- -%■;. ':i: ■■■,•:stltute...a;:'record, 1 /.and; tho -quality: was [hnch ::;:/K;;';/-above/the;;avovagp. { }:in[ the /sheep .classes espeoi-, '•_//.////;: .ally./:notice'ablo/ iuiprbvements" ljere /apparent, ///:?'/•■: and /there was keen'''.'competition /throughout. /: i //'f///Thej i pattle,-were/also/a.. stronger-'section' than /-;::/:'/;lisual./-/ Altogether::tho show demonstrates the /:j///./:;;; progress mado;iii:Sputhland/pfrlate years. /. /-'•V/.//^/'/In: the .sheep':weight "gucssing/competitioii/at / ■:/.'//; /tho;Ne\t. Plymouth' show /the. correct aggregate. .;•:.:■:/,-•//: weighti-bf the three-.sheep ,was : ,.2oflb., and' the f i;.'.'.--/'.'- ; '/■tiv'o/ho-irest'.guessers -/vwere:—J. P. Phillip's, S':: ? / ; /';/;Eahotuh : and/'W. ; /Q,/Higginson,'"Eltham, who ///'-/.///each guessed 203Jlfa.,'only, half 'a pound short of '//■.:^/- , :'the / :correct :figure. ■/'-/;■;;/ ■ :'; :-;■■ a