AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL STATISTICS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 88, 15 April 1899, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL STATISTICS.

j (By Telegraph—Own Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, this day. ! The following are the agricultural and pastoral statistics to the 15th November for areas in grasses, green crops, etc., also the number of horses aha cattle and swine oil the same date, and sheep to the 30th' April, 189S, for an advanced return of which 1 am indebted to.the courtesy of Air Ritchie, Secretary for Agriculture, it will be seen that this year the returns are available three weeks earlier than in previous periods:—

' Wheat for threshing, 399,034 acres, an increase of '82,233 acres over the previous year. There were, however, 30,000 acres from wheat for threshing added to feeding down and ehalhng. The area for chaffing ensilage and feeding down was 1355 acres, a decrease of 30,859 acres.

Oats for threshing, 454,819 acres, an increase over the previo\is year of 62,501 acres. The acreage returned for chaffing, ensilage, and feeding down is 214,608 acres, showing a decrease as compared with the previous year of 10,162 acres.

Barley.—The total acreage** tor the colony was 45,671 acres, an increase of 15,751. For ensilage and feeding down there> was a total area of 2032 acres, a falling off of 2061.

Other crops.—The following were the decreases in acres as compared with the preceding year in other crops:—Rye*399 acres; peas, 597 acres; beans, 383 acres; linseed, 548 acres; other crops, 132 acres.

Grasses, clovers, etc.—The following show decreases: —Grasses for feeding down (land ploughed), 86,39S acres; clover, 1,589 acres; clovers for nay (land ploughed), 1,344 acres; grasses for ensilage, 177 acres; ryegrass for seed (land not ploughed), 1,101 acres; cocksfoot, 6,387 acres, not ploughed; ditto, land ploughed, 5,978 acres; red clover, 889 acres; other kinds, 502 acres: total, 104,425 acres.

Increases. —The following show increases over the preceding year:—Surface sown grass for feeding down, 435,483 acres;' grasses for hay, land ploughed, 7,133 acres; surface sown, 1,9G6 acres; clover for ensilage (land ploughed), 23 acres; surface sown grass for ensilfijye, 7,879 acres; ryegrass for seed (land ploughed), 33,229 acres; white clover, 108 acres; other kinds of seed (land not ploughed), 795 acres: total, 482,615 acres.Green crops.—Potatoes grown in 1898-99 amounted to 38,604 acres, an increase over 1897-98 of 2,202 acres. Turnips, 416,024 acres^ increase, 22,573 acres. Mangolds, 8,069 acres; decrease, 1284 acres. Rape, 103,921 acres; increase, 26,790 acres. Beet, 490 acres; decrease, 131 acres. STOCK STATISTICS. Horses, 258,649, an increase of 5,422 as compared with the previous years; cattle, 1,203,024, decrease 6,141; swine, 193,512', increase 7,485; sheep (30th. April, 1898), 19,673,725, decrease on previous year 14,229. The returns for 1896 were 19,138,493, and for 1897 the total was 19,687,954. AUCKLAND RETURNS.. Agricultural, and pastoral returns for the Auckland district are as fol- ; lows. Crops sown, in or intended tobe sowii this season in the provincial district of Auckland are : — Wheat for threshing, 12,261 acres ; for chaffing, 246 acres ; for ensilage, 5 acres ; for feeding down with stock, 43 acres ; quantity grain on hand in bushels, 55,986 acres.

Oats for threshing, 8,882 acres ; for chaffing, 36,140 acres ; ensilage* 403 acres ; feeding down with stock, 1,202 acres ; quantity on hand, 20,571 bushels. . •

Barley for threshing, 2,123 acres ; ensilage, 2 acre.s ;■ feeding down with stock, 230 acres ; quantity on hand, 1,552 bushels.

Eye for threshing, 85 acr.es ; ensilage, 4 acres'; feeding down with stock, 19 acres ; on hand, 60 bushels.

Maize for threshing, 17,143' acres ; for ensilage, 40 acres ; feeding down, 1,428 acres.; on hand, 85.464 acres. Peas for threshing, 129 acres ; feeding down, 20 acres ; on hand, 154 bushels.

Beans for threshing, 68 acres; ensilage, 6 acres ; on hand, SO bushels. . ,

Vetches or'tares, threshing, 9 acres i feeding down, 22 acres ; on hand, 64 acres.

Linseed, 2 acres ; on hand, 64 bushels. '■ ' ■ ■

Hops, 2 acres

Other crops, for threshing, 163 acres; feeding down, 61 acres ; on hand, 5 bushels..

Grasses (land ploughed), 454,854 acres ; .clover (land ploughed), 6,346 acres; surface sown grasses (land ploughed), 190,420 acres ; tussocks; or native grasses, 3,200,928 acres ; land ploughed for hay only, 11,552 acres ; clover, 215 acres of land ploughed, 2,902 acres land not ploughed. Gi'asses in acres for ensilage, 227 acres, and clover 18 acres (land ploughed) ; surface-sown grasses (land not ploughed), 559 acres.

Stock : Horses—Entires used or intended for stud purposes, all ages, 137; hunters and haclineys, 50 ; carriagel and trotters, 34 ; light arid ordinary, 244 ; draught, 198 ; ponies under 14 hands, 72 ; mules and asses, 16. Geldings, over two years old : Thoroughbreds, 376 ; hunters and hackneys, 4,610; carriage and trotters, 1,780; light ordinary, 14,516 ; draught, 7,736; ponies under 14 hands, 2,335 ; mules and asses, 80. Mares over 2.years: Thoroughbred, 441 ; hunters and hackneys, 1,187 ; light ordinary, 9,706; draught, 5,126; ponies under 14 hands, 2,002; mules and asses, 58. 'Mares with foals at foot or to foal this year: Thoroughbreds, ■ 231 ; hunters and hackneys, 699 ; carriage and trotters, 90 ; light ordinary, 3,070 ; draught, 1,154 ; ponies under 14 hands, 547 ; asses and,mules, 28. The total number of horses returned for Auckland district is' 68,548 ,' Canterbury, 45,631 ; Otago, 53,759. Cattle : Auckland, 23,,264 ; Canterbury, 87,471 ; Otago, 189,249. Swine : Auckland, 01,293 ; Canterbury, 29,915 ; Otago, 24,013.