The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1894.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 237, 4 October 1894, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 1894.

For the cause that lacks assistanes,, JFor the vrong that neeflß resistance, for the future in the aistanoe, . \y. And tho sood that w» can do. ■'■

Such a large field of interesting inquiry is presented .by agricultural and kindred pursujl;? in New £ealaridj?that we are not surprised to find that the second report, of the Department of Agriculture b'ecupies a bulky volume. This book, with its appendices, will prove of great value if widely distributed among farmers, as it contains, besides statistical matter, a large number of illustrated,articles on subjects of paramount I importance to , all those classes who depend on the soil directly for a living. It appears from the report that, so far as crops are concerned, the result of the last year's operations showed it to be the worst yet experienced in the historyof the colony, or even of the world. During the spring the weather was unfavourable to the growth of cereals, and the want of sunshine, especially before harvesting, seriously interfered with the filling of grain. At the same time, the prices obtainable were very low, so that, altogether, what with low prices, low yields, and in some cases the attacks ot pests, the lot of graingrowers has not been a very happy one. In consequence of wet weather the quantity of grass seed saved was below the average, and the same cause is doubtless responsible for the fall in the potato crop.

The distribution by the Department of potato seed bas been attended with very gratifying results. The average yield per pound of seed of the various kinds reported on were:—Magnum Bonuro, 131b; Bruce, i2^lb..; the main kidney crop, nib; Imperator, i6>^lb; Sutton's* Early Regent, i2lb; Sutton's Abundance, i2lb.

The turnip crop is reported in many districts to be a comparative failure. Coming now to fruit culture, which is of special interest to Auckland, the report reminds us that in last November two practical fruit experts were engaged, and since that time have been fully occupied in travelling through the country' affording information'*to fruitgrowers.. They speak highly, says the report, of our soil and climate as suitable for fruit culture, but complain of a great lack of enterprise on the part of those connected with the industry. The orchsurds are, with few exceptions, badly looked after, and fruit pests are in undisturbed possession. The report then adds that while this may be partly accounted for by poor returns received for fruit, it is an indisputable fact that a large proportionof it is very inferior, and only fit to rank as second or third-class land. In connection with the import duty which it was expected the Government might put on fruit coming from abroad, it may be well to quote a paragraph from this part of : the report:— .

" Several of the fruitgrowers associations have petitioned < for an in r creased duty on imported fruits, the duty now being j£d per pound on apples, pears, cherries, peaches, plums, nectarines, . apricots, quinces, tomatoes, lemons, and ij£d per pound on fruit pulp, and partly preserved fruit. There is no doubt something to be said in favour of an increased duty, seeing that last year the enormous quantity of 3,078,2621b, valued at

of dutiable fruit 'w M imported. But if adjoining colo* nies can afford to grow froit, pay freight charges and duty an a sell here at a profit, surely we should be abje to place our fruit on the market at a lower figure, having less charges and no duty to pay. There was also imported no less than 16,408,44.21b, valued at. .£70,974,, of fruit on which no duty was levied, while the total export of fruit was 133,2931b, valued at of which only i4,784!b, valued at was . New Zealand grown." According to the report growers in the Teviot district, iv Central Otago, • have, within the last two of three years, made enormous strides in the fruit industry, and they have done this mainly by co-operation' in selling and judiciously feeding the 1 market. No doubt, as the report says, if fruitgrowers would band together and carefully grade their fruit before sending to market they would find that there is a market for all fruit at remunerative prices. The advisability of securing a man thoroughly qualified to instruct orchardists in the canning of fruits has been forced on the Government, and they have made inquiries in the Australian colonies and in America, but no one was found, and the salary asked by experts in California was considered too high by the Government to warrant the engagement of any of them. "This matter," says the report, "frill not be lost sight of, but until those interested in fruit-growing wake up 1.0 the fact that fruit trees require to be attended to, as other farm crops, there is little bope of the output reaching even the local demand." The latter part of this sentence will seem incomprehensible to those . who only consider the glutted stale of Auckland market during the •flush of the season, but it is no doubt intended to apply to the lack of a supply sound-keeping varieties during, other months. The fruitgrowers, by systematic attacks upon insect pests, by paying special attention to keeping varieties, and by regulating the supply to the requirements of tbe local markets, may reasonably hope to obtain a wider demand, and better value for their fruit. . ; Of the experimental graunds estab* lished at Whangarei, the report.says' little, but it appears that the nursery there is likely to be abandoned. The Wairangi plantation reserve, which is situated some fifty-four miles from '~ Auckland on the Waikato line, is doing; , comparatively well. Planted out some six years ago with wattle, eucalyptus, ! and oak seeds, it now presents a some- . . what wooded appearance, and the year before last yielded some eighteen tons ■ of bark; After referring to the lack pf interest displayed in many parts of the cbicny in Arbor Day, the report leaves arboriculture, and turns to dairying. From the Customs returns we see that during the year ending March ,31st, there was a total increase, of oar. over the previous year'in the value of butter and cheese exported. An examination of the items shows that while butter increased, cheese declined. The number of factories and creameries given as - at work last season was 104 and this 178, showing an increase of: 74. The benefit of a stringent Dairy Act is shown in the fact that while inspectors were inspecting different shipments a very large quantity of damaged and inferior butter was found, in fact, some - of it was almost unfit for. human consumption. The condensed milk industry is . assuming-'-" noticeable dimensions in the colony, an important fact when we remember that last year we imported worth of this article, and that a recent analysis showed the production of one.of out New Zealand factories to be quite as good, if not superior to, the best imported. The generkl outlook of the dairy industry is 'regarded by the Secretary of Agriculture as bright,- but the report insists on our dairy farmers ! taking greater care in the production of butter and cheese. Without that care, it is truly pointed out, we cannot hope for the highest prices. ■~-,, Now, with regard to stock, the number*.of sheep as returned at the last enumeration on the 30th of April, 1893, showed an increase of 809,617. The largest increase was in the Wel-lington-West Coast district, where the number added to the flocks was 245,252. In Auckland the increase was 64,995. The returns for the year for frozen mutton and lambs show ad increase of ;£i 75,890, while the wool . clip was light and prices for it low. A great improvement has taken place in cattle-raising, the price for dairy cows especially having advanced 40 per cent., owing to the extension or the dairy industry. The number 0 cattle given in the last agricultural statistics was 884,091, of which 327,612 are breeding cows. These figures show a total increase of 75,652 head.

With regard to horses, the Secretary, in the report, does not consider that we are improving our breeds, and fears nothing" better need be looked for until some means is taken to restrict the use of inferior sires. The number of horses in the colony at the date of j last census (1891) was 211,040. During last year, there has been an increase in pigs to the extent of 30 per .cent-.due to the operations of the Intermarine Supply Company, which has opened a factory at Islington, near Christchurcb, for the manufacture of mess pork by a patent process, but there seems, no reason why this industry should not develop into something like those enormous proportions it has attained in America. The last thing noticed in the report is the rabbit nuisance, and it is pleasing to find that throughout the colony generally there is a marked diminution lin this evil. *' '•'"'