| ) 
past 50 years, although in some cases the change is not of sufficient 
magnitude to be shown by the maps. 
The continuous gain which has taken place in the area under 
permanent grass at the expense of arable land is shown in the 
following table which also shows the area actually under the 
plough (described as tillage ”’)* as compared with the area 
under grass (both rotation grass and permanent pasture). 
CuLTivATED LAND (i.c., Arable land and permanent grass) In 
ENGLAND AND WALES. 
1871-75 to 1921-25. 
Acreage 
(Millions of 
Acres). 
Percentage 
of area of 
cultivated 
land. 
Acreage 
(Millions of 
Acres). 
Percentage 
of area of 
cultivated land. 
Average 
of 
Years. 
1871-75 
1881-85 
1891-95 
1901-05 
1906-10 
1911-15 
1916-20 
1921-25 
1925 
Arable 
land. 
14-77 
13-75 
12-68 
11-91 
11-44 
11-13 
11-80 
11-14 
10-68 
Pore 4| Arable poh 4 
manent| ‘| = © manen 
oTass. orass. 
Per 
cent. 
55-6 
49-8 
45-6 
43-4 
41-8 
41-0 
43-9 
42-9 
41-5 
Per 
cent. 
44-4 
50-2 
54-4 
56-6 
58-2 
59-0 
56-1 
57-1 
58:5 
11-80 
13-84 
15-11 
15-55 
i5-90 
16-01 
15-08 
14-81 
15-07 
Per- 
manent 
Tillage.| grass and 
rotation 
OTASSes. 
11-72 
10-83 
9-63 
8-77 
8-64 
8:66 
9-43 
8-63 
8:11 
14-85 
16-76 
18-16 
18-69 
18-70 
18-48 
17-45 
17-32 
17-64 
Tillage. 
Per 
cent. 
44-1 
39-3 
34-7 
32-0 
31-6 
31-9 
35-1 
21.5 
Per- 
manent 
grass and 
rotation 
orasses. 
Per 
cent. 
55-9 
60-7 
65-3 
68-0 
68-4 
68-1 
64-9 
66-7 
68:5 
Between the first and last five-year periods the arable area 
declined at an average rate of about 70,000 acres per annum, 
due partly to the encroachment of towns and partly to conversion 
to grass land. During the first 20 years of this period, when 
the average annual reduction in the arable area was at its 
maximum, the total area under crops and grass increased and the 
reduction of over 2,000,000 acres of arable land was thus more 
striking. During the following 34 years when the arable area 
again declined by somewhat more than 2,000,000 acres the total 
area under crops and grass decreased. This latter period includes 
the war years towards the end of which there was an increase 
in the arable as well as the cultivated area, but since the end of 
the war there has again been a marked loss of arable land. 
* Tillage is the arable area less clover and rotation grasses, and is 
consequently in the main the area actually ploughed in the year of the 
return. It still includes, however, a relatively small area under lucerne 
which is left down for a number of years, and also the area under fruit.