i9io.] Acreage and Live Stock Returns of 1909. 



55 



pointed out the total number of holdings over one acre in 

 Great Britain in 1909 was 509,171, an increase of 542 as 

 compared with the preceding year. If a comparison 

 is made with 1905, however, a decrease of 2,533 is shown, 

 mainly in holdings under 50 acres. This may be 

 wholly or partially accounted for by the fact that during this 

 period, 1905-9, the cultivated area of Great Britain was 

 reduced by 103,759 acres, which obviously involved the 

 disappearance of a considerable number of holdings. 



In dealing with the changes which have taken place in the 

 area under crops and grass, Mr. Rew remarks that, concur- 

 rently with the reduction of the arable land by about three 

 million acres during the past 30 years, there has also been a 

 considerable alteration in the manner in which it is cropped. 

 The proportion under the three chief corn crops was in 1880 

 about 46J per cent., whereas in 1909 the proportion was 

 slightly less than 44 per cent. Roots now occupy about the 

 same share of the arable land as they did 30 years ago, but 

 the proportion left in bare fallow has fallen from 4J per cent, 

 to only 2 per cent. On the other hand, the proportion de- 

 voted to clovers and temporary grasses has increased from 

 25 to 28J per cent., while about 1 per cent, more of the 

 arable land is now appropriated by potatoes. The change 

 in the relative importance of the corn crops is even more 

 marked. Wheat has declined from 16J per cent, to 12J per 

 cent., and Barley from 14 per cent, to 11J per cent., while 

 Oats have increased from 16 to 20 per cent. The Wheat 

 acreage has on two occasions fallen as low as 9 per cent, of 

 the total arable land, and generally speaking the fluctuations 

 in the area under Wheat synchronise with those of Oats, but 

 in the opposite direction. 



The fluctuations in the live stock in this country present 

 some features of interest, but the position as regards horses 

 is not regarded as entirely satisfactory. In point of actual 

 numbers, this class of stock reached a relatively high total, 

 but an analysis of the figures suggests that the larger number 

 now in farmers' hands may be due to a declining demand. 



In the case of cattle, the number recorded was 7,020,982, 

 which was the highest on record. The most constant feature 

 in the returns is the steady increase during the past eight 



