FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 November 1922, Page 8

FARM AND DAIRY.

BRITISH AGRICULTURE. The returns published by the Ministry of Agriculture for England and Wale* throw some light upon the trend of home agriculture. The reduction in the total area under all crops and grass is a striking feature. The area is returned a* 26.024,000 acres, or 120,000 acres less than last year. There is, however, an increase of 56,000 acres in the area returned as rough grazings, so that th© reduction in the total acreage of land covered by those returns is about 64,000 acres. The cultivated area comprises 11,309,000 acres of arable land and 14,715,000 acres of permanent grass. The arable, area has been reduced by 309.000 acres, but it is still 311,000 acres greater than in 1914. In spite of this reduction the area under most crops is larger than last year, the decline in the total being more than accounted for by reductions in the area of clover and rotation grasses and bare fallow. The area of wheat, 1,969,000 acres, is practically the same as in 1921, and some 233,000 acres greater than the pre-war average. Barley is being grown on an appreciably smaller area than last year, only 1,362,000 acres being under this crop against 1,436,000 acres in 1921. The acreage of oats is 2,161,000 acres, or 12,000 acres more than the average of the ten years before the war. The total area under the three chief cereal crops (including mixed corn) is 5,618,000 acres, or 78,000 acres Jess than in 1921. The area of both beans and peas has been increased, the -former being grown on 235,000 acres, against 246,800 acres last year, and the latter covering 173,400 acres, an increase of 30,000 acres. The very large area devoted to potatoes in 1921 has been fully maintained, 561,000 acres being under this crop. Tlie area returned as under turnips and swedes shows a serious setback, amounting to 820,000 acres, or 74.600 acres less than last year, which was the lowest previously recorded. The mangel area has been largely increased, >722.000 acres being under this crop, against only 374,800 acres in 1921. The acreage of mangels is the largest since 1914. Practically all the other crops have been increased in area, only rape, mustard and linseed showing decreases. | The heaviest decline, however, is in I clover and rotation grass.