47
other improvements. On a population of four
hundred and twelve it was sixty-nine, not much
short of seventeen per cent, and about the usual
average of increase throughout England; but
during the same time in the adjoining parish of
Little Somerford, in which similar circumstances
of an enclosure and turnpike road had occurred,
the increase was more than thirty-one per cent.
or very nearly double that in Broad Somerford;
and in another adjoining parish, Dauntsey, the
increase was fifty-two per cent. But the returns
upon the late census are still more interesting,
as by this time the system in his parish was in
full operation, and on a larger scale. By these
it appears, that the parish of Broad Somerford
has, in the last ten years, increased not quite
four per cent. while the six adjoining parishes,
in which the system has been only on a small
scale and only very recently adopted, the increase
I say, has been thirteen per cent. on the aggregate
of the whole six, and in no single parish less
than eight per cent. For the confirmation of
these statements, I must refer to the table in the
Appendix, No. 9, which is well worthy of atten-
tion, and will show the facility with which such
calculations may be made.
I have only one more instance to produce of a
still more favourable nature than even that already