50 



Agricultural Holdings. [april, 



of receipts and expenditure in connection with any holding 

 entered for competition are kept and exhibited to the judge. 



Competitions of this character seem well designed to stimulate 

 interest among small holders in the proper management of their 

 holdings, and likely to produce a spirit of healthy emulation. 



Since 1903 returns have been annually obtained by the ^oard 

 of Agriculture and Fisheries (in connection with the Agri- 

 cultural Returns) of the number of 

 Return of Agricultural , .,. , - - 



holdings m each of four groups, viz. : 

 Holdings in Great ,... A J~ A . ' -r 



(1) Above 1 acre and not exceeding 



5 acres ; (2) above 5 acres and not 

 exceeding 50 acres ; (3) above 50 acres and not exceeding 

 300 acres ; (4) above 300 acres. 



Prior to 1903 returns of this nature were collected occasionally, 

 the latest being in 1895. The statistics then obtained are 

 readily comparable with later returns, but the scope of the 

 preceding return in 1890 was different, and the figures for the 

 first group of holdings above-mentioned included holdings of 

 precisely 1 acre. Consequently, an exact comparison with 

 1890 is not possible. In 1895, however, inquiries were made 

 to ascertain the number of holdings of precisely 1 acre in 

 extent at that date ; and the number in Great Britain was 

 found to be 16,709. To enable the figures of 1890 to 

 be used for comparison, it has been assumed that the 

 proportion of holdings of precisely 1 acre to the number of 

 those not exceeding 5 acres was, in 1890, the same as in 1895. 

 The return of 1890 being confined to allotments and small 

 holdings did not include holdings exceeding 50 acres. A 

 summary of these returns showing the figures for 1890, 1895, 

 1903 and 1906 for each county, has now been separately 

 printed and presented to Parliament (Cd.~34o8. Price ij^.). 



It is necessary to remember that the area of a holding for the 

 purposes of these returns does not include any mountain or 

 heath land used for grazing purposes which may be attached 

 to the farm. In many parts of the country, and particularly in 

 Scotland, the size of the holdings would be materially increased 

 if these " rough grazings " were reckoned in the farm acreage. 



From 1890 to 1895 the number of holdings of over 1 and not 

 over 5 acres appears to have declined from 126,398 to 117,968, 



