BRITISH AGRICULTURE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 878, 7 February 1879, Page 3 (Supplement)

BRITISH AGRICULTURE.

,1 ° ft*/ lowing sf-ftki sfcius ivro drawn from. JV«('i/i'i {. Xluiy sh> jw a h«jf» decneasw in h " "w .<ntjw o£ W8 .Mo land,, and a still J?. 01 ' incWHUio <>6 pasttwtj land. Bat, r!' o M> q writ«t ta not at alt puzal«d to a ' til » iwtsoa for tilw decraww in the fact .l" a' her cmui tries «"■"- f!vis « £ r! " ft m Behind, the rid'ation* befo" n a a Anowmao of piisttiro land and a ctonsu , «rf <<.-wttta st»«tn to W rather perr?ln!f. !Bf Aha decrsiwi «f eattlw waa a L,' r « -fault *ti»nl by iismlty w» shonfd iJ*"" ihtfsitatiioft ia declaring that it ,7* fn - mv Hwu.uaasou, via: The htctea*S'mpi jßfcatitmuf American beef, and the ittki Pt,ti( * >n ky whAuh American elieesa is A*l lft ' eli« Entftiah- product. then* ** B ' ttu " n****" l standi ww betie«e t Iw»:the tewt explanation*©* «hi» ' tteinurtmaa of pasture lands may

!m«an that Kmrfwwi find* it more profitable [to raisw hay for continental market* than i att«mpt to compete with American grain. It appear* from the last annual agn- ; cultural ttrtwrna that the extent of arable fond fa Eosftand and Wales «on the de- : dine and also the prince of live stock, white on the other hand the area of p»stnre land is on the increase. The decline in the acreage of arable land, veryjmarked irv the five years troin 1872 to 1877, »w greater in Wales, than in England, and embraced all the principal crops. The land under wheat fell ftoni 3,336,8«» acres in 1872, to 2,987,129 in 1877, in England -. and from 12fi,367 acres tn 1872, to t»<>,22© in 1877 in Wales. During the same period, the acreage nnder potatoes felt in England from 839,636 tn 303,964 and in Wales from 48,417 to 42,942 ; and that nnder clover in England from 2.822,302 to 2,737,387 and in Wales from 370,830 to 3**1,397. In the acreage nnder barley and oats there was a slight increase in England, bnt a decrease in Wales ; j. while in the acreage under turnips and l weeds there was a trifling increase in England, and a decrease in Wale* during that period. Taken altogether, the extent of arable land in England fell from 13,839,000 '■ acres in 1872 to 13,434,000 in 1877, being a decrease of 385,000 acres. In Wales Che extent of arable tand sank from t,t»>l.e(X> acres to 990,000 acres in tho isame period ; the decrease of arable land during the five- years was Very steady, and So likewise was the increase in the acreage ■of pasture land. There were in England under pasture—exclusive of heath land—--0,991,00t> acres in 1872, and 10,853,000 acres in 1877, the increase in the years amounting to 867,090 acres, being more than double the extent of decrease of arable land. In Wales there were nnder pasture 1,532,000 acres in 1872, and 1,732,00© acres in 1877. making the increase amount to 200.000 acres, this also being not far from double that of the decrease in arable land. The decrease in the extent of arable tand, and simultaneous increase of pastures, may be explained by the fact of England being supplied more and more with corn (grain) : from foreign countries, where it can be grown cheaper than at home. Naturally the produce of pasture lands cannot be brought in the same way Into this country. If "the decrease of arable laud and increase of pastures can be thus explained, if. is not so. pasty to- account for the decline of live stock which also took ptace during the same period, more especially from 1874.- It might have heen expected that Che widening' of the pastoral area would have ted to an increase in live stocky but the contrary was the case, more especially as regard* ' "rned cattle and sheep. In Eh "land there were 4,30"»..440 head of cattle in June, 1874, and 3,970,630 head in June.. 1877, so that there was a decrease of 323,790' head in three years. During che same period, the number of cattle in Wales fell from 665.195 to 616.200, being » decline' of 47.896. The decrease in numbers was even greater- in sheep. There were {9.830,738 sheep in England in June, 1874. and 18.330.377 in June. 1877. being a decrease of 202,633. Thus the total"decline in the number of sheep in Engtand and Wales was no tess than. 1,732.064 in the short space of three years. The great diminution of live stock during the triennial period from 1874 t0J877 was not confined to England and Wales, but occurred simultaneously in Scotland, as well sis in Ireland, being greatest in the latter country, where the destine in sheep alone amounted to 10J percent.