§ 73. Mr. Crouchasked the Minister of Agriculture what quantity of lime has been applied in Dorset during the last 12 months; and if he is satisfied that the farmers are taking full advantage of the present scheme.
§ Mr. NugentFarmers in Dorset applied about 50,000 tons of liming materials in the last 12 months. This represents an increase of nearly a third over the previous year and shows that good advantage is being taken of the scheme.
§ 74. Mr. Crouchasked the Minister of Agriculture how many acres in Dorset have qualified for the £10 per acre ploughing grant in the past 12 months; and if he is satisfied with the progress of reclamation in the county.
§ Mr. Nugent1,990, which my right hon. Friend thinks is a useful beginning
§ 75. Mr. Crouchasked the Minister of Agriculture how many calves have been reared in Dorset during the past 12 months; and what were the numbers for the corresponding periods in 1950, 1951 and 1952.
§ Mr. NugentThe only statistics available are those of the number of calves on farms at the census dates and these do not indicate how many are being reared. The total number of calves in Dorset at December, 1950, 1951 and 1952, which is the latest date for which figures are at present available, was 26,000, 24,500 and 27,000, respectively.