1908.] Agricultural Returns of 1908. 423 



being but scantily used, but in some parts cultivation under 

 glass is attracting attention. There are many fine but not 

 extensive apple orchards, and pears are also grown, as well 

 as strawberries, cherries, raspberries and currants. 



As regards the islands of Walcheren and South Beveland, 

 Mr. de Bruyne, the British Vice-Consul at Flushing, reports 

 that the fruits chiefly grown are currants, gooseberries, pears, 

 apples, cherries and plums. Part of this fruit goes to the large 

 towns in the Netherlands, but a great deal is exported to 

 England and Germany. The total area covered by the 

 exporting orchards is 4,700 acres. The soil under the trees 

 is in most cases used for grazing, but as it has been found 

 that the grass interfered with the growth of the trees, it has 

 in many instances been removed and gooseberries or currants 

 planted underneath, or in other cases the ground is devoted 

 to strawberries or garden crops. Cherries, though still an 

 important crop are decreasing, and they have suffered much 

 from insects and fungi. 



AGRICULTURAL RETURNS OF 1908. 



The preliminary statement of the acreage and live stock 

 returns issued by the Board on the 31st August shows that the 

 total acreage under crops and grass in Great Britain amounted 

 to 32,211,381 acres in 1908, this representing a decline of 

 32,066 acres from the area so returned in 1907. The changes 

 in the extent of arable and pasture land respectively, and in the 

 chief categories of crops, may be summarised as follows : — 



Crops. 



1908. 



1907. 



Increase or Decrease. 



Cereal crops 



Other „ 



Clover and rotation grasses 

 Bare fallow 



Total arable 

 Permanent pasture 



Total 



Acres. 



6,914,595 

 3,144,078 



4,421,587 

 3I5>252 



Acres. 

 6,997,5*4 

 3,215,638 

 4,490,961 



261,450 



Acres. 



82,919 

 - 7i,56o 



69,374 

 + 53,8o2 



Per cent. 



- 1*2 

 2'2 



- i'5 



+ 20 "6 



14,795,512 

 17,415,869 



14,965,563 

 17,277,884 



■ 170,051 

 + 137,985 



- 1 • 1 



+ o-8 



32,211,381 



32,243,447 



- 32,066 



- O' 1 



There has thus been a decline in each group of crops, against 

 which has to be set the increase in the area uncropped and 



