344 Agricultural Returns of 1906. [sept., 



was a strong movement on foot in this district to split up arid 

 apportion communal forests amongst those who had rights over 

 them, with the result that the present owners, in some cases, 

 possess a piece oL woodland only a few yards v/ide, and as little 

 as a quarter acre in extent. Naturally, the management of these 

 woodlands leaves much to be desired, and the State in 19CO 

 appointed six forest experts, with ten assistants, whose chief 

 business it should be to effect an improvement in these private 

 woods. State nurseries (covering 120 acres) for the supply of 

 plants of the best quality at cost price have been established in 

 many places, the number of young trees distributed last season 

 being 184 milHons. 



AGRICULTURAL RETURNS OF 1906. 



The preliminary statement of the acreage and live stock 

 returns issued by the Board on the 27th ult. shows that the 

 total acreage under crops and grass in Great Britain amounted 

 to 32,266,790 acres in iyo6, this figure representing a decline 

 of 20,042 acres from the area so returned in 1905. The 

 changes in the extent of arable and pasture land respectively, 

 and in the chief categories of crops, may be summarised as 

 follows : — 



Crops. 



1906. 



1905. 



1 



Increase or Decrease. 



Cereal Crops "... 



Other Ciops 



Clover and Rotation Grass^es 

 Bate Fallow 



Total Arable 



Permanent Pasture 



Total 



Acres. 

 7,057,558 

 3,209,200 

 4,440,746 



314,552 



Acres. 

 7,054,232 

 3,205,275 

 4,477,5^8 



349,313 



Acres. 

 + 3,326 

 + 3,925 

 1 - 36,772 

 - 34,761 



Per Cent. 



+ 0"0 



4- o-i 



- 0-8 



- lO'O 



15,022,056 1 15,086,338 

 17,244,734 1 17,200,494 



- 64,282 

 4- 44,240 



- 0-4 



+ 0-3 



32,266,790 



32,286,832 jl - 20,042 



- O-I 



The returns this year present no very marked features. There 

 is a further recovery of slightly over 3000 acres in the area 

 under cereal crops, which however does not quite bring the sur- 

 face up to the figure returned in 1903, a total of 7,061,000 acres. 

 Other crops — excluding clover and rotation grasses — have also 

 increased, a.r.d, proportionately, more than the cereals. The 



