CROP REPORTING.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XXV, Issue 4252, 26 June 1895, Page 4

CROP REPORTING.

There is likely to be a reconstruction of the system of crop reporting in the United States, which is generally felt to be necessary in consequence of the obvious and enormous inaccuracies of some recent estimates of wheat production. A conference of representa tives of the grain trade and tie Secretary of Agriculture and his statistician has been held, with a view to the arrangement of an improved system of collecting crop reports. At this meeting Mr C. B. Murray, of Cincinnati, pointed oui some striking disparities between the last census fig ares and those of the Department of Agriculture for the same year in relation to the wheat production of certain states. The differences were as great as those between 11,700,000 and 16,931,000 bushels in one State, 16,600,000 and 21,000,000 in a second, 8 250,000 and 21,000,000 in a third, 4,283,000 and 6,190,000, in a fourth. A sub-committee, appointed at the Conference, drew up a set of recommendations for submission to the Secretary of Agriculture., The most important suggestion was in favor of collecting and publishing details of acreage by States, which strangely enough has never been attempted by the Department. Indeed, although it U much easier to ascertain acreage accurately than to give precise statements m to yield, the Department haa

never obtained direct returns on the former poinfc, but has contented with the mere estimates of its agents, as to the percentage above or below the previous year's figures. Another recommendation is that instead o£ having one agent and three assistants in each county, as at present, the Department shall employ one or more reporters in each township to make their reports to the statistician. This plan, however, will not be satisfactory unless it covers the direct collection of information from each form, after the English method, which Secretary Morton would like to adopt.