HOW THE LAND IS HELD 



43 



farms put together, and it might seem that England 

 so far from being a country of large farmers is very 

 largely a country of small holdings. ^ 



But we obtain a very different aspect if we group 

 the different classes of holdings according to the 

 acreage which they occupy. Thus diagram No. 15 

 shows us that the 14,413 large farmers occupy 

 2| million acres more than all the 291,722 small 

 holders put together, and diagram 13 shows that 

 though small holders are twice the number of the 

 medium and large farmers, they occupy only a very 

 insignificant portion of our total acreage. 



This diagram incidentally gives us a clue to the 

 manner in which public agricultural opinion is 

 formed in this country. 



I referred just now to the school which holds 

 that small holdings are uneconomic units, and 

 opposes their creation in every possible way. 



* Table showing number and size of holdings in England and 

 Wales, 191 4. 



Size. Table Number. Total acreage. 



6-20 

 21-50 



91.570 

 111,698 



78,454 



282,980 

 I, -,66,990 

 2,636,094 



51-100 

 IOI-150 

 150-300 



over 



300 



59,514 

 31,860 



37,615 



4,324,724 

 3,942,16s 

 7,84-1,200 



14,413 



6,736,707 



291,722 small holders 

 128,989 medium farmers 

 14,413 large farmers 



Total 435,124 



128,989 medium 

 14,413 large 



143,402 medium and large 

 holdings 



