A Statistical Account of the British Empire, exhibiting its Extent, Physical Capacities, Population, Industry, and Civil and Religious Institutions. By J. R. M'Culloch, Esq., assisted by numerous contributors. Second Edition, Enlarged. London: Printed for Charles Knight & Co. 1839 [pp. 416-450]

430 M' CutlocIt's Britistt Empire. [JULY
more labourers in planting, hoeing, weeding and gathering
in the crop. Yet Mr. M'Culloch is vehemently opposed to
the use of potatoes as the common food of the country, (See
"Potatoes," in kis Commerciat Bictionar~.) And this
in the face of many millions of his countrymen suffering for
want of food.
In Scotland th~ number of families subsisting chiefly by
agriculture is stated to be 126,591
Occupiers of land employing labourers, 25,887
Occupiers not employing labourers, 53,966
79,853
Leaving, 46,738
families, or a population of 280,428 dependant upon the
25,887 who employ agricultural labourers. The following
is the distribution of crops
wheat, 220,000 Turnips, 350,000
Barley, 280,000 Flax, 15,000
Oats, 1,275,000 Gardens, 32,000
Beans and peas, 100,000 Fallow, 150,000
Potatoes, 130,000 Meadow & Pastures, 2,489,000
,000
In Ireland the number of agricultural families is stated to
be 884,339
Occupiers of land~employing labourers, 95,339
Occupiers of land not employing labour, 564,274
659,613
Leaving, 224,726
families, or 1,348,~56 souIs~dependant for labour and subsistance on 95,339 farmers who employ labourers.
The distribution of crops in Ireland is not well known. It
is estimated that five millions of the population are dependant on t~e potatoe for their chief food, and of the remaining
three miY\ions, 2,500,000 are believed to be principally dependant on ~ats. The greatest attention is paid to the culture of the po~toe. "Every ounce of manure is carefully
husbanded and e~~ry weed is destroyed. The drainage is
complete, and the h~~, or rather the apology for that instrument, is constantly goir~. The potatoe is the only crop, the