54 SCIENTIFIC SURVEY OF LEICESTER AND DISTRICT 
during the last ten years, which means a serious encroachment upon the 
farming area of the county. 
Year. Acreage. 
TQ22 he. 5 - . 460,978 
TQ bails . , = (r459:049 
Lg2z0t : : . 456,306 
1932, -% : ‘ . 451,930 
CATTLE, INCLUDING DaIRY AND GRAZING STOCK. 
Between 1915 and 1923, the cows and heifers increased by 8,755. 
This increase was spread very evenly over every Petty Sessional Division 
and showed that the change over to milk production was taking place 
more or less throughout the county. 
During the last ten years the number of cattle has not altered to any 
very serious extent, though there has been a steadily increasing tendency 
for farmers to extend their activities in milk production, and consequently 
dairy cows have further increased in numbers. As to breeds of dairy 
cows the Shorthorns are pre-eminent, though excellent herds of Jerseys, 
Friesians, and Ayrshires also exist in the county. ‘The business of milk 
production has reached a very high standard and flourishing associations 
for milk recording and graded milk have been in existence for several 
years and have done excellent propaganda work. During recent years 
improved methods of feeding and equipment have been adopted, and over 
one hundred milking machines are now in regular use. 
The breeding of good dairy cattle has been materially assisted by the 
Ministry of Agriculture’s Live Stock Improvement Scheme, under which 
are placed at various centres in the county no less than thirty-four premium 
bulls. With regard to grazing cattle, a large proportion are bought as 
stores and brought into the county during the autumn and spring ;_ they 
comprise a wide range of breeds such as Shorthorns (both English and 
Irish). Aberdeen Angus, Devons, Welsh, Herefords, and their respective 
crosses are very popular with the Leicestershire graziers, but it should be 
here recorded that the grazing industry, like other sections of British 
farming, has experienced very difficult and unremunerative conditions 
during the last few years, and a careful analysis of live stock statistics show 
that a gradually declining number of cattle have been grazed in recent 
years. Improved prices would no doubt do much to improve the grazing 
industry. 
The following table gives the figures of dairy and grazing stock and 
other cattle from 1923 to 1932: 
Year. Head of Cattle. 
TO230:* 5 . : 4 149,107 
1925°™. : : . 161,049 
1926. 2 : . 158,387 
1932. : : . 156,996 
