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.