Scotch Agricultural Statistics.

The Returns issued every year by the Board of Trade as to the Crops and Cattle of the United Kingdom furnish a large amount of information specially interesting to agriculturists. The following Table, compiled from the Returns for 1871, issued in February last, shows that of the thirty-two Counties into which Scotland is divided Orkney and Shetland stands third in the list as regards horses, the ninth as to cattle, and the eighteenth in respect to sheep :—

While, as compared with similar returns of former years, several Counties show a considerable falling off as regards the number of cattle, Orkney and Shetland continues steadily to increase. The complete freedom from rinderpest and all disease, hitherto enjoyed by the islands, produced a large demand for stock reared in the County; and fanners, finding a ready market, have of late years devoted more attention to this department of agricultural work than formerly. The value of cattle exported from the County during the past year has been estimated at upwards of £200,000.