AGRICULTURE 



Green Crops 



Turnips Cabbage, Kohl-RabI Vetches Other 



Potatoes and Swedes Mangolds and Rape or Tares crops 



Acres. . . 47,697 7,165 1,861 2,811 550 2,413 



Total, 62,497 acres. 



Clover and grass under rotation, 77,514 acres, flax 9 acres, small fruit 1,820, and bare fallow 

 1,233 acres. 



The total arable land was thus 246,044 acres, and permanent pasture occupied 570,070 acres.*" 

 The most notable feature about these figures, compared with the earlier ones, is that the pro- 

 portions of arable and permanent pasture are, unlike most parts of England, not much altered. 

 Wheat, barley, and beans all show considerable decreases, as would be expected, and potatoes and 

 oats a large increase. 



The number of live stock in the county in 1905 was : — 



Horses Cattle Sheep Pigs 



45,629 240,749 324.54' 7°.364- 



The increase in the number of horses, cattle, and pigs since 1878 is very noticeable ; the number of 

 sheep on the other hand varies little in the years we have considered. 



The average crops per acre for the years 1895- 1904, of the county as compared with 

 those for all England were, in bushels : — 



Wheat Barley 



Lanes.'* . . . 32-81 36-14 



England. . . 30-53 32-58 



Potatoes 



Lanes 6-76 tons 



England S'^\ » 



In 1905 Lancashire produced 413,871 tons of potatoes; considerably more than any other 

 county except Lincolnshire, which ran her pretty close with 394,026 tons, and Yorkshire, no other 

 county producing half this amount. In turnips and swedes Lancashire had the highest average crop 

 for the ten years quoted of all the English counties. The average hay crop per acre for the same 

 ten-year period was 42*77 cwt. of clover, sainfoin, and grasses under rotation, and 36-73 cwt. of 

 hay from permanent pasture ; in 1905 there were in the county 268,206 acres devoted to hay of 

 all kinds, producing 481,846 tons, a much larger crop than any other county in Great Britain 

 except Yorkshire. 



The average crops of hay just mentioned were the best in England, both from grasses in rotation 

 and permanent pasture, the average crop in England being 28-79 '^'^'- ^"'^ 23-61 cwt. per acre 

 respectively. By 1905 the acreage under orchards had increased to 3,312. 



The farmer of the present day ought not to fail for want of instruction in his calling, for he 

 has advantages such as his forefathers never had. The Lancashire County Council has a farm of 

 157^ acres situated at Hutton near Preston, with permanent dairy and poultry schools, and pro- 

 vision for the residence of pupils during their course of study. 



In 1905, 6,033 lb. of butter, and 31,564 lb. of cheese were sold by the farm, the live stock 

 consisting of 100 head of dairy cattle, shorthorns, and Jerseys, and from 80 to 100 pigs ; from 800 

 to 1,000 head of poultry are also kept. 



A number of manurial, feeding, and other experiments are conducted on the farm and else- 

 where in the county, so that the practical and scientific principles of agriculture may both be taught. 



Practice with science is also the object of the County Council Agricultural School at Preston, 

 the Lancashire Education Committee giving free studentships, certificates, and diplomas, and agri- 

 cultural exhibitions and scholarships. The Education Committee also give lectures on agriculture in 

 various parts of the county, admission to which is free. It forms altogether a scheme of education 

 which would have rejoiced the hearts of Tull, Townshend, Arthur Young, Coke of Holkham, 

 and the other pioneer educators in what is still the greatest business in the country. 



Rents have not been reduced in Lancashire to the extent they have in most of the counties of 

 England; in many districts they have not fallen at all since 1878, in others only very slightly, the 



" The permanent pasture does not include mountain and heath land. 



*' The average price in England for seven years ending Christmas, 1905, of a bushel of wheat was 

 IS. id., barley 3/. o\d., oats 2/. i\d. 



435 



