332 Statistics affecting British Agricultural Interests. 
[Continued from page 317.] 
one year and above, other than ewes, a small increase in Wales was rather 
more than set off by a decrease in England, while a more serious decline of 
47,000 appeared in Scotland. The rise in the price of wool which, during the 
past two or three years, has gladdened the hearts of flockmasters, is perhaps 
mainly accountable for the increase of sheep which has taken place since 1904 ; 
indeed, it is a matter of some surprise that its effect has not been larger. 
Taking the number of ewes kept for breeding as the criterion, it is noticeable 
that the addition in two years to the ewe flock of Great Britain, notwithstand- 
ing the improvement in the wool trade, has not exceeded 180,000, an increase 
which has more than once been exceeded in a single year when no such 
unusual influence was operating. Thus, in 1896, 260,000, and in 1899 no fewer 
than 320,000, were added in one season. 
Pigs . — Sows kept for breeding exhibited only casual variations, resulting, 
on balance, in a slight increase of 1,314 in Great Britain. In other pigs 
there was a decline of 102,772, or 4 - 9 per cent., as compared with last year. 
Practically the whole of the net reduction occurred in England, where only 
four counties materially increased their stock of pigs, the largest addition being 
that of Chester, 2,834. On the other hand, four eastern counties alone, viz., 
Essex, Lincoln, Norfolk, and Suffolk, lost in the aggregate nearly 38,000 head 
of swine s'ince the previous enumeration. The present decrease of 101,458 pigs 
in Great Britain, following on the reduction recorded last year, brought the 
total half a million below 1904, but it may be added that even with this 
considerable reduction, the number of pigs was still higher than it was as 
recently as 1902. 
Mr. Rew, in his report, thus sums up the gains and losses of stock owners 
in the year ended June 4, 1906 : — 
GAINS 
No. 
Horses 
Unbroken horses, one 
year and above . 
4,902 
Cattle 
Cows and heifers in- 
milk or in-calf . 
31,019 
/Two years and 
Other 
above . 
11,437 
cattle. 
One year and 
^ under two . 
23,725 
Sheep : — 
Ewes kept for breeding 
125,338 
Sheep under one year . 
86,467 
Pigs 
Sows kept for breeding 
1,314 
LOSSES 
Horses 
No. 
Horses used for agri- 
cultural purposes and 
mares for breeding 
purposes 
5,914 
Unbroken horses under 
one year 
2,740 
Cattle : — 
Cattle under one year . 
42,345 
Sheep : — 
Sheep (other than ewes) 
one year and above 
48,641 
Pigs : — 
Pigs other than breed- 
ing sows 
102,772 
The balance may fairly be regarded as falling on the credit side of the 
account, in view especially of the fact that, in the case of cattle, sheep, and 
pigs, the breeding stock has been augmented, and on the whole, therefore, 
the results of the farm-stock census of 1906 may be deemed to be fairly 
satisfactory. 
