THE GREAT AGRICULUTURAL WEALTA OF NEW ZEALAND.

Bruce Herald, Volume XI, Issue 1078, 14 January 1879, Page 5

THE GREAT AGRICULUTURAL WEALTA OF NEW ZEALAND.

(Written ex ;.r- ssly mr this mper) THE MARKETS OF THE FUTURE, AND THKIR CONNECTION WITH IMMIGRATION. Having briefly touched upon the introduction of agriculture into the provincial dis-riet, of 0 ago, 1 will piocceed togive the !ntest statistic-; procurable, as to the yhdd per acre in tlie way of soil productions in 'onterburyand Oiago. Enpassant?\t i-uiofc that otago fanners are given, to think th- mselves by long odds the largest cultivators in New Z aland ; but for the matter of 'hat wo would have 'oeen, had our le^u-lators of tho past given us the chanc*-', i by a free selection land system, at so much per acre (the same as Canterbury), or by any means by whicli those who accumulated sum* of money ou our goldfields .some \ ears i since, might have availd thorn, selves ; but, considering the crippled state of our land laws up to the present date, I think we Otago people have accomplished wonders in the way nf agricultural progression, to find ourselves holding a second place in the statistical returns of the Colony, First then, Canterbury gives for wheat, 134.895 acres; oat*, " 89,496 ; barley, 12,541? potatoe--, 4,152; as against, 75 570, acres in wheat, fir Ota^o ; oats, 94,350; barley, 4.168; potatoes, 2,54) ; (.has showing a. difference of 63,555 acres iv favor of Can ti.-i bury, and a greater corresponding yield of three of these four staple crops, averaging tbe rate of pro duetion for bo ih at 28 bushels per acre for wheat, for both ; 40, for oats ; 28, for barley ; and 4 tons for potatoes, it gives tlie following: — 1,608,7-0 bushels greater yield of wh at ; 157,460, of barley ; and 6744 tons of potatoes'. For Otago, the yield iv otLs would exceed thafc of Canterbury by 1.660,720 bushels. I re-yret, not btdng a- le at- present o givo the approximate differences in turnips, uay, in other crops, but hope before finishing these articles, to clo so. AY i thou t depreciating '"an terbury in any way, it may be here iem irked ihat the piv-sent land status of ' >t ago is much more favmable to the ngricuhu'ist than theirs; ma-much as with them the pick cf the 1 md is taken up, and they have now only 8,250.000 acrea ares of hind ava'l.ible f>r settlement, while we possess 1 ,750,000 acres. Allowing that this land is put into the market in lots, in proportion to the pri-s- nt, per centage of bona fide selectors, and in progres-Ve proper, ion 'o tbat of those accruing to the population, but immigration, and other sources from year to year ; as by the very wise arrangements of the Hen. Minister of Lands, namely, to be sold on deferred payments, agricultural leases, special value (as mineral lodes), nnd pastoral laud, on de ern-d payments ; will it not f dlow that the greatest, aggregate of settlers will flock to Otago; as having the widest selection. For example the small capitalist has the best chance of success by the defer ted payment system, and he has his option of an agricultural holding, or a pastoral one. Those who desire a superior pick of land, and are able to pay for it, can have such on immediate payment, whi c those who seek to develope the minera' -:-30urces of the province by a personal ' opoly can become possessed of an area co .Iningcoul deposits, ironstone lodes, antimouy, zinc, copper, tin &c, &c. Even gold might, by this method, be profitably disposed of to practical capitalists, who, after opening it up, could work it with all possible advantage to themselves on the royalty system. The number of sheep, cattle, and horses respec ively, for the rival provinces, are as follows : — 3,560,301; 100,310, and 37,117. For Otago, they are: 4,440,023; 147,929, and" 38,103. Ihe proportion in excess for sheep in Otago may be fairly demonstrated by the excess of waste Ends held by runholders ; but, in this case, ifc proves the superiority of the two land systems, namely, that of cultivation, as against waste hinds grazing, for although Otagc

has 8,500,000 acres more tussock land, she only produces 885,722 more sheep than Canterbury, hence reckoning that Canterbury only grazes 885,722 head of sheep on her 8£ million acres of lands available for settlement, it will be found that she raises 2,674,579 head on freo hold property, tho major portion of "Which is under cultivation, the balance of "which, must, ere long, find its way either into the hands of practical cultivators, or be worked into artificial pasturage by its present proprietors. Our stock in cattle exceeds that of Canterbury by nearly 50,0C0 head, and this may also be attributed to the excess of grazing lands which we hold, and perhaps to their quality ; the southern portion of Otago being eminently adapted to horned stock producing. But whether our stock on an average will bear comparison with theirs iv breeding, I very much doubt, although, we have some very fine strains of shorthorn aud a yrshire blood in the province, yet for the most part our farmers have confined themselves more to butcher yield, than that of the dairy, hence the greater proportion of mongrel bred cattle and a portion of the excess. In horses, we ouly hold about a thousand more than our neighbours • our draught stock is perhaps greater in number than any other sort, and I think will bear comparis >n with any of its class in New Zealand- For many years back our leadiug agriculturists have endeavoured to procure tho best blood obtainab c from Great Britian, and the Clydesdale s^ock to be found ou almost every firm mi Otago is ample proof of this assertion. In Waitaki County the principal lueedi -rs have been the Hon M. Holme*, Fleming, and Hedley, these have given place to others, who have c me for ward in a mote general w ry • there is no doulv however, that Canterbury possesses pleivy cf bone ami hair also, to plough up her b'-oad acres. Of blond stock and hacks, we mu*t i*ivo tlie precedence to the other province, if we may judge from the specialities which meet one's eye in a general tour through O'ago, and a glance at some cf the cripples as they spurt at our various race meetings. Ia forest tree plantations Canterbury has also the advantage of us, having 4784 acre*, as ajainst 2581 acres in Ot-igo. To accouut for this difference, it, may be stated that our neighbours have had the start of us in general settlement, and in a greater absence of native ferett. It no doubt occured to them that plantations would become a most valuable adjunct in relation to their general farming operations, and the climatic influences besides vieldiug something handsome in the way of nett cash, and on accouut of these combined influences, they have exerted themselves more than we have. However, our late Provincial Government did attempt something in this way a few years ago, but, unfortunately, began at the wrong end of the horn ' thus, instead of benefitting the province, by introducing the hardy inc.i'yptus iv the place of birch, other timber at Lake Wakatipu, Long wood, Toi Tois, Waikawa, Tapanui, Catlin's River, and the coast bushes from Wangaloa up to Green Island, they have merely exercised a ranger's supervision over them, and acquired, it may be a trifling revenue, or perhaps nothing. To a rising province like O f -ago, nothing conspires to retard her progress like such damaging mismanage ment. We want the bark and timber, the gum family supplies both; at the outlay of a £1000 in gum seed, the late Provincial Government, might, at this day, ! have raised a tribute to their own memory i of the greenest and most fragrant description. At any rate, some thousands of acres of worked up bush land might now be producing gum poles, and in the course of ten years more, would have given both yocd timber and tan bark to the market. However, it is never too late to mend, and it never to be hoped that with such a considerate legislator as Hon Mr Robert Scout at the helm, we may have no more beatii g about the bush, but a clear straight-forward policy which will put this important mat/er to rights.