1907.] Agricultural Returns of 1907. 347 



Both rotation grasses and permanent grass have increased 

 their area, and the extent reserved for hay is greater than last 

 year by 210,000 acres, the actual increase being for the most 

 part in permanent grass, though the relative additions are 

 somewhat similar. Of the area for grazing both categories 

 show a decline ; that in rotation grass amounting to 8,000 acres 

 and in permanent grass to 118,000 acres. 



Among the live stock, increases have to be recorded in sheep 

 and pigs, and decreases in horses and cattle. From the 

 subjoined table it will be seen that there is a decrease in each 

 of the categories into which horses are divided, the decline 

 being greatest among the unbroken horses under one year old : — 



Horses. 



1907. 



1906. 



Increase 01 



Decrease. 



Horses used for Agricultural 



Purposes 

 Unbroken Horses (one year 



and above) ... 

 Ditto (under one year) 



Total 



Number. 



1,115,962 



313,961 

 126,484 



Number. 

 1,116,505 



315,235 

 136,941 



Number. 



543 



1,274 

 - io,457 



Per cent. 



- o-o 



0-4 



- 7'6 



1, 55 6 ,407 



1,568,681 



- 12,274 



o-8 



In cattle a total decline of 98,000 head is noticed ; but the 

 decrease is confined to cattle other than the breeding and 

 dairy stock, in which an increase of 21,000 head is shown, 

 and the figure now returned is again the highest on record. 

 Among the other categories the decrease is most marked, 

 actually and relatively, in the one year old and under two years, 

 where it amounts to slightly over 3J per cent. 



Cattle. 



1907. 



1906. 



Increase 01 



Decrease, j 





Number. 



Number, j 



Number. 



Per cent. 



Cows and Heifers in Milk or 











in Calf ... ... ... 



2,759,3 l8 



2,738,411 



+ 20,907 



+ 6-8 



Other Cattle (two years and 









above) 



1,389,282 



1,426,754 



- 37,472 



- 2-6 



Ditto (one year and under 









two)... 



1,440,433 



1,494,795 



- 54,362 



3-6 



Ditto (under one year) 



1,323,486 



1,350,896 



- 27,410 



2"0 



Total 



6,912,519 



7,010,856 



- 98,337 



1-4 



The number of sheep again shows an increase, and the 

 total now returned is the highest since 1901. All categories 



