This represents about 84 per cent. of the land area of the country. 
In addition, it is estimated by the Forestry Commission that 
nearly 1,900,000 acres are under woods. forests or plantations. 
2. The area not used for agriculture.—The balance, consisting 
of about four million acres, covers the area occupied by towns, 
villages, houses, and buildings of all kinds, roads, railways, etc., 
together with public parks, open spaces and pleasure gardens 
not used for agricultural purposes. 
It has, however, frequently been suggested that there are 
substantial areas of land in the country which are not used for 
any agricultural or productive purpose, but which might be so 
used. It is true that there are certain areas, particularly the 
areas returned as rough grazings, which are not and, in many 
cases, cannot be very productive, but they are used for agricul- 
tural purposes, that is to say they are grazed at some time 
during the year by cattle or sheep. They are thus brought 
within the agricultural returns, and there is little room outside 
the area covered by the returns for purely unproductive land. 
With a view to testing the question as far as possible the 
Crop Reporters were asked in 1925 to report any land not already 
included in the Agricultural Returns which could be regarded as 
having some potential agricultural value. It was not possible, 
without considerable expense, to undertake an exhaustive 
investigation in regard to this matter, but it was thought that 
the Crop Reporters from their own knowledge and a moderate 
amount of local enquiry would be able to give an approximate 
indication of land not included in the returns which might be 
regarded as available for agricultural purposes. Enquiry was 
not made as regards land in urban districts. 
The areas returned were as follows :(— 
Swamp or scrub land - 
Waste or derelict land, including land formerly 
used for agriculture but more or less perma- 
nently abandoned - - : - 
Park land not used for grazing - : : 
Common, heath, moor and rough land not used 
for grazing - z = - - - 
Prospective building land not actually in course 
of development (excluding land in urban 
districts) win - g - - = 
Recreation grounds, playing fields and golf links 
not used for grazing 2 
Other land - 
Acres. 
04.000 
37,000 
10.000 
230.000 
13.000 
23,000 
13.000 
420.000 
Of this area, it will be seen that swamp and scrub land, and 
common, heath and moor land not used for grazing account