asked the Minister for Agriculture if he will state (1) in respect of each county for 1955-56 and 1956-57 (a) the estimated arable acreage, (b) the number of agricultural holdings, and (c) the number of soil tests carried out by his Department; and (2) (a) the total number of agricultural holdings over five acres in the State, and (b) the total number of soil tests carried out to date by his Department.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Agricultural Statistics.
As regards part 1 of the question, I propose, with permission, a Cheann Comhairle, to circulate in the Official Report a statement giving, in so far as available, the particulars requested by the Deputy.
As regards part 2 of the question, the latest date for which the total number of agricultural holdings over five statute acres in the State was calculated was the 1st June, 1955, when there were 278,394 such holdings. The total number of soil tests carried out by my Department at Johnstown Castle Agricultural College from March, 1948, to September, 1957, inclusive, was 651,578. From 1942 until 1948, about 500 soil tests annually were carried out at Ballyhaise Agricultural School.
Following is the statement:—
|
County |
Estimated arable acreage on 1st June 1955 |
Number of Agricultural Holdings as on 1st June 1955 |
Number of soil tests carried out by the Department of Agriculture on behalf of farmers |
|
|
1955-56 |
1956-57 |
|||
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
|
Carlow |
90,397 |
4,916 |
1,670 |
1,906 |
|
Cavan |
106,438 |
15,301 |
3,192 |
3,162 |
|
Clare |
57,020 |
15,753 |
2,913 |
3,349 |
|
Cork |
591,716 |
36,979 |
9,141 |
12,797 |
|
Donegal |
224,648 |
25,103 |
1,731 |
1,440 |
|
Dublin |
63,988 |
8,488 |
1,505 |
2,029 |
|
Galway |
204,902 |
28,448 |
4,578 |
5,155 |
|
Kerry |
132,655 |
21,273 |
3,541 |
4,477 |
|
Kildare |
103,561 |
8,312 |
2,176 |
3,182 |
|
Kilkenny |
167,575 |
10,124 |
3,462 |
6,751 |
|
Laoighis |
110,154 |
8,396 |
1,480 |
1,795 |
|
Leitrim |
31,382 |
11,197 |
1,897 |
1,401 |
|
Limerick |
54,530 |
17,531 |
3,163 |
3,361 |
|
Longford |
38,215 |
7,467 |
1,684 |
1,544 |
|
Louth |
93,000 |
6,630 |
784 |
1,735 |
|
Mayo |
130,344 |
30,162 |
5,659 |
6,669 |
|
Meath |
123,005 |
13,606 |
1,829 |
2,815 |
|
Monaghan |
152,833 |
11,363 |
1,583 |
2,044 |
|
Offaly |
93,321 |
8,618 |
1,688 |
2,850 |
|
Roscommon |
69,605 |
17,367 |
3,919 |
3,483 |
|
Sligo |
43,973 |
12,649 |
1,114 |
785 |
|
Tipperary |
185,571 |
20,566 |
6,351 |
8,318 |
|
Waterford |
125,883 |
8,039 |
2,363 |
2,836 |
|
Westmeath |
51,673 |
9,588 |
897 |
2,394 |
|
Wexford |
297,829 |
13,012 |
4,195 |
3,193 |
|
Wicklow |
96,861 |
7,788 |
1,879 |
2,738 |
|
Total |
3,441,079 |
378,676 |
74,394 |
92,209 |
NOTES.
1. Arable acreage has been calculated on the basis of area under corn, root and green crops, flax, fruit, first to fourth year's hay and rotation pasture under five years.
2. Figures for each county for 1956-57 are not available as the agricultural census for that year was confined to estimates calculated from sample returns (accounting for 25% of the area of the country) collected for District Electoral Divisions in each of which a Garda station was situated.
3. Figures for the total number of agricultural holdings in 1956 and 1957 have not been calculated.
4. In addition to the soil tests mentioned in columns 4 and 5 above, 16,435 soil samples in 1955-56 and 8,154 in 1956-57 were tested in connection with experimental and special advisory work undertaken by officers of the Department of Agriculture. These were not recorded on a county basis.
With the bicycle wheel and the nail; with the medicine bottle, the man and the boy.
And you tried to keep it like that and could not.
Does the Deputy remember that?