Numeer oF HORSES ON AGRICULTURAL HOLDINGS EXCEEDING ONE ACRE IN ENGLAND AND WALES. Year. 1921 1929 1923 1924 1995 Horses used for | agriculture, including mares kept for! breeding. No. 822,739 805,094 798,122 782,494 773,200 Unbroken horses, including stallions being 1sed for service No. 324,946 314,451 273,162 236,223 193.411 Other horses. No. 236,902 220,950 209,995 213,481 197,629 Total horses. No. 1,384,587 1,340,495 1.281,279 1,232,198 1,164,240 During these years the number of horses used for agricultural Purposes has been slowly but steadily declining. As would be “Xpected, ‘other horses,” which include saddle and carriage horses and vanners, are also decreasing. The reduction in the umber of unbroken horses is very noticeable and indicates a Marked decline in horse breeding. 6. Poultry.—In considering the numbers of poultry in the “Ountry it must be remembered that the Ministry’s returns relate only to holdings of over one acre in extent, and the numbers kept on cottage holdings and in gardens which are outside the 3¢0pe of the returns are very considerable, while large numbers re kept in towns. Apart from this, however, the returns of the numbers of poultry are not likely to be so exact as those of Other live stock, since many occupiers do not themselves know the precise numbers of poultry kept and are in many cases dis- Nelined to take trouble in regard to a class of stock which they ‘gard as of minor importance. For this reason the figures may be understated to a small extent, though they no doubt show Accurately enough the relative importance of poultry keeping on farmg in the different districts of the country. Returns of the Wmber of poultry have only been collected at infrequent intervals, Nd the following table gives the numbers on agricultural holdings 4% the date of each return. SS Year. RE Fowls. Ducks. Geese. Turkeys. 190g . 1913 . 199; . . 1924 { E 1995 % Thousands. 28,249 29,026 24,816 30,755 33.670 Thousands. 2,669 2,188 2,391 2,516 2.629 Thousands. 686 577 517 335 591 Thousands. 628 652 445 638 653 a x # » Sr * The number of oultry in 1925 has been estimated on the basis of the changes in a as shown by the returns of 1924 and 1926.