was on the whole tending to expand, notwithstanding the steady
decline in the arable area. In the last twenty years the area under
these grasses and clover has been reduced, though there has
been some increase since the war. The average acreage under
clover and rotation grasses and under tillage from 1871-75 to
1921-25 together with the total arable acreage, is shown in the
following table :—

Average
of years.

1871-1875
1881-1885
1891-1895
1901-1905
1906-1910
1911-1915
1916-1920
1921-1925
1925

Clover and
rotation
oTasses.

Thousands
of acres.
3.051
2,914
3,044
3,140
2,801
2,474
2,378
2,515
2.574

Land under
the plough
“ Hllage.”’

Thousands -
of acres.
1Y,715
10,833
9,632
8,774
8,643
2,657
9,427
8,629
8,108

Total arable
Crops.

Thousands
of acres.
14,766
13,747
12,676
11,914
11,444
11.130
11,805
11,144
10,682

Percentage
of rotation
grasses to
total arable.

or

20-66
21-20
24-01
26-36
24-48
22-23
20-14
22-57
24-09

The bulk of the reduction in the total arable area as compared
with 1871-75 is attributable to the decline in wheat, barley and
turnips. - Oats and potatoes have increased, and this also applies
to mangolds though the alteration has not been very marked.

ACREAGE UNDER VARIOUS Crops, 1871-1925.
(Thousands of acres.)

Average of
years.

1871-75
1881-85
1891-95
1901-05
1906-10
1911-15
1916-20
1921-25
1925

Wheat.

3,404
2,646
1,907
1,594
i,679
1,877
2,097
1,746
1,500

Barley.

2,115
2,034
1,881
1,641
1,501
1,435
1,488
1,352
1.318

Oats.

1,664
1,870
2,116
2,134
2,104
2,022
2,392
2,039
1.868

1

Other
corn,

914
692
530
464
502
498
561
588
496

Total
COrn Crops.

8,097
7,242
6,434
5,833
5,786
5,832
6,538
5,725
5.182

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