298 
Farm Prize Competition , 1913. 
Similar increases in the face of declines in the area of cultivated 
land have been noted in other districts, and the reason is not 
very obvious, unless it be that cultivation is becoming more 
intensive, or that the development of horse-labour in connection 
with such implements as reapers, binders, and mowing machines 
in the. last thirty years has more than compensated for the 
reduction in the plough-land. Or it may be that the breeding 
of heavy horses by tenant farmers is less localised than it used 
to be, and that the demand for horses for the towns has 
increased. The increase in dairying is again brought out by 
the statistics, for cows and heifers in milk or in calf have 
increased by 23 per cent, in Gloucester, 24 per cent, in Somerset, 
and 22 per cent, in Dorset. In the case of other cattle the 
numbers of two-year-old and over show a decline in each 
county, whilst there is a very large increase in the numbers 
under two years. Probably the increase in the attention 
devoted to dairying has led to an increase in the number of 
in-calf heifers, which are included with the cows, with a 
corresponding decline in the head of two-year-old bullocks. 
“All Cattle” show gains of 23 per cent, in Gloucester, 18 per 
cent, in Somerset, and 22 per cent, in Dorset, and having 
regard to these figures it is only natural to find a very large 
decrease in the sheep stock of the three counties. The declines 
amount to 21 per cent, in Gloucester, and to 36 per cent, in 
both Somerset and Dorset. The increase in pigs is no doubt 
consequent on the increase in dairying, and amounts to 11 per 
cent, in Gloucester, 10 per cent, in Somerset, and 26 per cent, 
in Dorset. 
Coming to the census figures, the table on p. 299 shows the 
numbers and grades of persons concerned in agriculture in the 
three counties in 1911 and in 1881. 
In some respects the comparisons between 1881 and 1911 
are not easy to follow, and it rather appears that too much 
i eljance must not in all cases be placed on them. For example, 
it is not easy to understand why farmers and graziers should 
have increased by 23 per cent, in Gloucester and by 26 per 
cent, in Dorset, whilst remaining practically at the same figure 
in Somei set. Again, it must surely be that relatives were more 
in the habit of assisting on farms thirty years ago than at 
the present day, but from the figures in the table it would 
seem that the contrary is the case, and that their number has 
increased bj 39 per cent, in Gloucester, by 25 per cent, in 
Somerset, and by no less than 103 per cent, in Dorset. The 
tendency towaids smaller farms and the increase in the number 
of small holdings would no doubt account for a larger pro- 
portion of the family assisting in the work of the farm, but 
