Catalogue description Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and predecessors: Statistics and Economics Correspondence and Papers

Average prices of British corn have been computed since 1685 and published in the London Gazette since 1771. June Agricultural Returns have been collected since 1867, for some periods voluntarily. The returns collected in England and Wales were in respect of agricultural holdings exceeding one acre in extent.

Quarterly Returns (March, September and December) were instituted under the Agricultural Returns Order, 1939. Following the outbreak of war in 1939, a number of special returns were collected, mostly under the provisions of the Agricultural Returns Order, 1939. These included Glasshouse Returns which related to holdings under glass of less than one acre producing crops for sale. Other returns were rendered voluntarily. In regard to England and Wales, occupiers were required to send copies of their June and quarterly returns to their County War Agricultural Executive Committee for use in connection with feeding stuffs rationing, cropping instructions, etc. The obligation to send a copy return to committee was not extended to other special returns.