22 THE PRACTICAL SIDE OF 



Holdings between 5 and 50 acres in extent 

 with 1885, we find that, while there has been 

 an increase in the area from 4,481,354 acres to 

 4,725,000 acres, there has been a slight diminu- 

 tion in the number, the figures being 232,955 

 for 1885 and 231,819 for 1908. On the other 

 hand, farms between 50 and 300 acres in extent 

 have increased from 144,000 to 151,000, 

 while farms over 300 acres have diminished 

 from 19,364 to 17,714. Small Holdings, 5 

 to 50 acres, now average 20| acres in extent, 

 while the largest holdings average 462 acres. 

 It is worthy of remark that of the 108,000 

 holdings between 1 and 5 acres in extent, 

 59,000 odd are pasture, while only 22,000 are 

 mixed holdings; on the other hand, among 

 the holdings from 5 to 50 acres, 93,000 are 

 pasture and 104,000 mixed, while only 34,000 

 are arable. 



The total number of horses upon holdings 

 of from 1 to 50 acres is 391,000, the total 

 number of cattle 1,548,000, of sheep 4,789,000, 

 and of pigs 1,073,000. Thus, the small 

 holders keep considerably more cows, pigs, 

 and horses per acre than the large farmers; 

 on the other hand, large farmers keep a 

 larger number of cattle — other than cows — 

 and sheep. Again, it is worth remarking 



