CHAPTER II.-THE AGRICULTURAL AREA. 
Ll. The agricultural area in relation to the total area of the 
country.—According to the latest official survey, the total area 
of England and Wales, exclusive of inland water and tidal land, 
is 37,136,000 acres. Of this, 25,755,000 acres were returned to 
the Ministry in 1925 as being under cultivation either as arable 
land or permanent pasture in holdings of over one acre. The 
occupiers of these holdings also returned a total area of 3,920,000 
acres described as mountain, heath, moor or down land or other 
rough land used for grazing and forming parts of the holdings. In 
addition to this area actually returned by occupiers, there is an 
estimated area of 1,100,000 acres of similar land (mostly sheep 
runs) grazed in common, that is over which various persons have 
grazing rights. There is thus a total area of 30,780.000 acres 
accounted for in the Agricultural Returns. 
In addition there are holdings of one acre or less, and allot- 
ments which, though not included in the Agricultural Returns, 
have a productive value and need to be taken into account in 
estimating the agricultural area. There are no definite particulars 
as to holdings of one acre or less, but they probably represent at 
least 50,000 acres while the acreage of allotments in 1925 was 
ascertained to be about 163,000 acres.* Some allowance needs 
also to be made for the holdings which should be included in the 
Returns but which escape enumeration. At a rough approxima- 
tion it may be assumed that the inclusion of these missing 
holdings would increase the cultivated area by 100,000 acres. 
In the aggregate then the total area which is used for agri- 
cultural or horticultural purposes in England and Wales comes 
to over 31 million acres. made up as follows — 
Arable land and permanent grass as returned by 
occupiers - - - - - < - 
Rough grazing land returned by occupiers as part 
of their holdings  - - - - = 7 
Common land and mountain and heath land, 
grazed in common - - - 
Holdings which escape enumeration 
Holdings of one acre or less * 
Allotments = 
Acres. 
25,755,000 
3,920,000 
1,104,000 
100,000 
50,000 
163.000 
31,092.000 
* Prior to the year 1895, returns were obtained of holdings of one acre 
or less, and in 1895 holdings of exactly one acre accounted for 35,500 
acres, but 20,000 of these holdings were allotments. The number 
of holdings of less than 1 acre, excluding allotments, in 1895, was 50,000. 
The area of allotments in 1925 is based on returns collected from I.ocal 
Authorities, and details are given in the Annual Report for 1925 of 
Proceedings under the Allotments Acts.