444 Report on Laying down Land to Permayient Pasture. 
the country. The larger part of the increase in the total quantity 
of land is for permanent pasture ; and here a large allowance 
must be made for additions due to more accurate returns under 
that head. Mr. Valpy, however, says that " the higher cost of 
agricultural labour, together with the increased demand, and 
remunerative prices obtained, for butchers' meat and dairy pro- 
duce, are mentioned by several of the collecting officers as 
causing a change from arable to grass farming." 
As might be expected, with the increased production of grass 
more live stock is kept each succeeding year, as is shown in the 
Table on the opposite page. 
In five years it appears that the increase in cattle has been 
508,662; in sheep, 1,277,719 ; in pigs, 260,094; and in horses, 
37,083. The total proportionate numbers of live stock in England 
and Wales to every 100 acres of land under crops, bare fallow,and 
grass, in 1871, were 4'1 head of horses, 15*5 head of cattle, 73"9 
head of sheep, and 8*8 head of pigs. In Wales the proportions were 
— horses, 4-5; cattle, 22-9 ; sheep, 103-9, and pigs, 8*7. In 1874 
we find that for every 100 acres used for agricultural purposes, there 
were in England, 4"2 head of horses, 17'9 head of cattle, 82*7 head 
of sheep, and 8*6 head of pigs : in Wales, 4*6 horses, 24*8 cattle, 
114"4 sheep, and 8*0 pigs. It should be remarked that the larger 
proportionate numbers of cattle and sheep in Wales as compared 
with England are owing to the extent of rough pasturage upon 
heath and mountain-land in the Principality not included in 
the returns under the head of permanent pasture. How much 
of the increase in the number of live stock reported is due to 
more correct returns it is difficult to say. But taking the figures 
as given, it will be seen that although the number of horses and 
pigs to every 100 acres has remained almost stationary, there has 
been an increase in England of 2*4 cattle and 8*8 sheep ; in 
Wales, of 19 cattle and 10*5 sheep. Or, to put it in another light, ! 
there are now kept on every 100 acres of land in England more 
than one-seventh more cattle than in 1871, and one-ninth more 
sheep ; whilst in Wales the increase has been at the rate of 
adding one-twelfth more cattle and about one-tenth more sheep. 
Looked at from any point, the increase is encouraging ; and, 
coupled with the fact of the large extension of area under 
grass, there appears to be little doubt that the additional number 
of live stock maintained by the country is principally due to 
the greater attention paid to the production of grass. 
Notwithstanding the enhanced price of labour, and the in- 
creased demand for stock, both lean and fat, the extent to which 
arable land has been converted into pasture has not been so sudden 
nor so great as might naturally have been expected. Farmers have 
liitherto been slow to alter their usual course of husbandry at the 
