140 



ADDITIONAL CROPS FOR COWS AND 

 SHEEP. 



When the question of additional crops for cows and sheep is 

 considei-ed, two points have to be kept in view^ — the cropping 

 powers of the land available, and the possibilities of crops but 

 little grown. The food supply for cows and sheep must 

 necessarily be considered in conjunction with the total food 

 available for the live stock on the farm, though emphasis 

 may be laid on that more directly affecting them. One may 

 elect to review the cropping in the past at any date ; but 

 possibly that of 1878 is the best and fairest to select, coming as 

 it did before the years from 1879 onwards, when the climate 

 and other agencies entirely dislocated British agriculture. In 

 the Agricultural Returns there are some differences in the 

 divisions under which croppings were classed then and now, 

 but they mainly affect the comparatively minor crops. The 

 figures show that in 1911 there w^ere close upon 3,300,000 few^er 

 acres under the plough in Great Britain then than in 1878 ; also 

 that there were 3,535,000 more acres under permanent grass. 

 The land under corn cropping has fallen from 9,160,000 to 

 7,030,000 acres, which is very close to what it would be in 

 natural course were the land all under the four-year rotation. 

 Relatively, the decline from 4,570,000 acres under clovers and 

 grasses under rotation cropping to 4,120,000 is not so great. 



It is among the roots and fodder crops that the more notable 

 variations are found, and it is around these that the chief 

 interest in a paper under the above heading lies. 



Before analysing these figures, it is well to have in review 

 the head of stock kept in Gi-eat Britain in 1878 and in 1911. 

 Having in view the area of land given up to the growth of 

 food for live stock — and in spite of the extra quantity of 

 feeding stuffs purchased and the larger area under grass — the 

 number of animals kept on the land ought not to be regarded 

 as unsatisfactory. It has to be remembered that by far the 

 greater proportion of land which went from the plough was 

 that which gave a poor return in arable cropping, and that it 

 cannot be expected to produce pasture of first excellence — as a 

 matter of fact it does not ; it includes that which " tumbled 

 down " to pasture, and is yet thin, having a small stock- 

 carrying capacity. In 1878 there were 5,738,000 cattle : 

 in 1911, 7,114,000. Sheep, in 1878, were 28,40(),000 ; in 1911, 

 26,494,000 (after the rapid decline in the price of mutton three 

 years ago). Pigs, in 1878, 2,483,000 ; and in 1911, 2,822,000. 

 Agricultural horses, in 1878, 1,412,000 ; in 1911, 1,480,000. It 



