§ Mr. TURNERasked the Minister of Agriculture the total acreage gone out of cultivation during the past 25 years?
§ Mr. BUXTONThe total area of crops and grass on holdings of over one acre in England and Wales, as returned in 1898, was 27,548,000 acres and last year 25,943,000 acres. The decrease is partly due to land formerly classed as "permanent grass," now being more properly58W returned as "rough grazings," owing to the latter heading having been more closely defined in recent years. But the decrease is mainly attributable to land having been taken over for buildings, railways, roads, allotments, and other public or private purposes. I have no information as to any land which has otherwise ceased to be cultivated.