BRITISH AGRICULTURAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19469, 27 October 1926, Page 19

BRITISH AGRICULTURAL.

the season reviewed^ PRICES OF PRODUCE, LIVE STOCK STATISTICS. BY WAI.TEU BIFFIN, Tt is generally conceded that the ■weather conditions of the season now drawing to a close in Great Britain have been mote than usually satisfactory to the iarmer-. Moisture and warm sunshine ?jave alternated in a manner highly favcurable for vegetative development* Ilay crops averaged 30|cwt, from "seeds'* or ■"temporary" grass, and from xncadow gras.>, both of which aro well *bOw& tlie averages of the past ten years, Tlie Ministry of Agriculture is optimisite as to probable yields of cereal crops,, its estimates being; Wheat, !Bcwt>; barley, 16.1c,wk $ and oats, 15.7cwt, per acre. As with bay, these figures nro all abo-re the ten-year means. In most districts straw made very strong growth, and considerable areas of standing grain were beaten down by heavy storms in July., especially in tho eastern counties* This has naturally entailed delay and additional expense in (he ingathering of ihe crops. But tho harvest progressed quickly as a result of tho remarkably fine weather enjoyed during the latter half of August, and by tho end of the month, the bulk of tho grain in southern and midland England bad been stackodi Unfortunately, market prices are not so satisfactory as tho crop returns. English wheat is around 60s or 52s a quarter, though farmers insist that it cannot bo produced at a profit under 60s, which is about the present figure for best Canadian wheat. Home-grown barley ranges from 40s to 60s, tho top price being for good malting samples. Oats aro from 25s to 28s a quarter. Good meadow hay is worth about £3 a ton on the farm. Agricultural Statistics. There is httlo that was unexpected in the, yearly statistics relating to English agriculture, which have just been published. The agricultural area of England and Wales is about 25| million ficres. Of this some 63 per cent, is permanent grass, and 37 per cent, arable land. The arable area is less by 134,000 (teres than a year ago, of which 54,000 acres appear to have been sown down to while 80.000 acres—of tho kind of land, no doubt, which is always on the fringe of cultivation—has been allowed to revert from agricultural use, There pre new 2,000,000 fewer aeres under the plough, and over 400,C00 acres less than in 1914, Cereal and Root Crops, Wheat-growing farmers enjoyed fine leather last autumn, and the area of ihe primary cereal was 1,592,000 acres, pr an increase of six per cent, The quantity of spring wheat grown in Britain is almost negligible, Tlie oat area exceeds that of wheat by nearly 300,000 acres. Barley-growers have been discouraged by bad seasons, lov; prices, and the refusal of the Government to impose a tax on imported malting barley. Consequently, in spite of good weather at sowing time, the bariey area is less by 168,000 acres or 12.7 per cent., than in 1925. The sugar-beet crop extends to 125,606 acres, which is about 150 per cent, greater than last year. Most of the l:ect acreage is in the eastern north-eastern counties. Potato-growers had to put up with unsatisfactory prices (£3 to £4 10s a ton) for their crops last season, but this has not had the effect of reducing the potato area, which still stands at about its customary figure of 500,000 acres—mainly in Lincolnshire, Lancashire and Notting.hamfihire. Turnips and swedes were pianted on 766,000 acres am) mangolds on 338,000 acres, the figures in both cases being pbout five per cent, less than last year. The valuable ! 'clever and rotation grasses," grown on prable land between two cereal crops, and commonly remaining down from one to four years, cover British Live Stocfc, In tho live stock section of the statisr tics the most arresting statement is to the effeet that pigs have declined in numbers by 440,000 (16.8 per cent.) in the past year, There were, at tho date too returns were made (June 4), but 2,200,000 pigs in the country, compared with tho record number of over 3,000,000 in 1924. This reduction seems strange, Kince breeders, for nearly a year past, have been congratulating themselves on satisfactory aud well-sustained prices, But tlse British bacon and pork market is notorious for abrupt fluctuations in values, and duo time is required for the pig population to adjust itself to changing conditions. Farm horses do not show up satisfactorj.ly in the returns, though present tendencies on the market give breeders reason to believe that tho long-continued depression in their industry has passed its worst, and that better times aro close at hand. Commercial firms in large fcitios have, in the main, come to the conclusion that, for short journey work, rses aro more economical than motor power, and, in consequence, heavy geldings aro in increasingly satisfactory demand. From £4O to £6O per head can usually be obtained for such animals, when in their prime. The statistics show that, at present, there are 760,000 horses used for farm work in England and Wales, which works out at one horse per 34 acres of agricultural land. Tneso aro few enough, and are less by 1.6 per cent, than last year. The foals bom this year (41,000 in number) are fewer by 4QOO than .those of 1925. The figures for both cattle and sheep are satisfactory. England and Wales possess 6,250,000 cattle of all ages, which is the greatest number ever recorded, snd I 3 per cent, over last year's number. Cattle and Sheep in Britain. Dairy cows and heifers form the largest section of cattle, with very nearly 2,750,000 head. There aro nearly 1,250,000 cattle under a year old, which, in itself, constitutes another record, since it is the greatest number ever chronicled for tiiis class of stock. The tendency toward early maturity is brought out in the fact that of the 3,500,000 cattle in tho country—apart from dairy cows and heifers—only 1,000,000 head are over two years old. Sheep have increased 5.5 per cent, in the past year, and now stand at nearly 17.000,000, or 400,000 fewer than in 1914. Breeding owes number 6,750,000, and there aro nearly 7,250.000 lambs in England and Wales. Scotland possesses a total of about 7,000,000 sheep. Tha figures which represent the present total of Britain's flocks are less tnan those of 40 or 50 years ago. This frequently gives rise to pessimistic comment on tha decline of the country's pastoral industry. There may bo a slight decline, but not to tho extent suggested by tho discrepancy in the figures. The development of early maturity, and consequent slaughter at a younger age, ia responsible for much of tho differ**nr/».