"Weekly Press."

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9012, 26 January 1895, Page 4

"Weekly Press."

i> ■ ■ —— Since oar last issue we have been In communication with our numerous correspondents regarding the prospects of the comine harvest. The area under wheat is even less than we anticipated, allowing as we did for a considerable shriukage. In 1893 the area under wheat in the Canterbury district was 270,780 acres; last year.it was set down 174,250 acres or nearly 96,530 less than the previous season. It is more than probable that the next statistics will show a still further decline of at least 50,009 acres. Wβ are assured that this estimate is considerably under the mark. It is interesting to note the course of the wheat, oats and barley industry during the last twenty years, as will be seen from the following table:—

As regards oats, the area under this cereal in 1894 was 141,211 acres; in 1893 it was 112,894 acres, or an increase of 28,317 acres. We are credibly informed that the area this season under this cereal will show a considerable increase, probably a total area of 200,000 acres. In 1893 we had 9567 acres of barley; in 1894 tbi3 had increased to 11,365 acres. It is anticipated that the increase this season will be 2000 acres. What, it may be asked, has taken the place of wheat ? We find that a large proportion of the land formerly devoted to this cereal has been laid down with seeds, while the area under turnips, rape, rape and seeds, oats and barley for fattening lambs, has been largely increased, and is likely to be still increased if the price of grain continues low. It cannot be said that this is an unmixed evil, as the continuous growing of corn, such as was practised in the past, had the effect of increasing the weed nuisance and the consequent exhaustion of the soil. The growing of roots and green feed has the contrary effect. We are not at all disposed to throw up the spotige and join in the cry of the pessimist that farming cannot be made to pay in New Zealand. We are quite willing to admit that farming on the old slovenly and exhausting style will no longer pay, but we maintain that "intense " farming will, given land and labour at their agricultural value.* We mean by intense farming that everything which the farm is capable of raising shall be produced, that the whole of the land will be devoted to grass or crops, that weeds I shall not oqcupy the prominent position they are at present allowed to do. We admit that it is the men who, with the ard of their families, work-their farms, and who will attend to the small things such as poultry, pige, bees and fruit, &c, who will succeed best. The Victorian farmers are turning their attention to the shipping of large quantities of poultry; this is an' industry not yet touched in New Zealand.. It would be difficult to estimate the loss to this colony from the neglect of such industries as we have just referred to. They are small in themselves, but in the aggregate they are by no means insignificant. What, we would ask, would now be the condition of the small farmers, not only of Canterbury but of New Zealand generally, but for the development' of the dairy industry?

Pear. Acres wheat 1875 £0,510 187S 57,400 1877 9i,M7 1878 147.197 1879 173,895 183s> 1SW.7S4 1881 203.561 1SS2 '.'37,015 1833 249,163 1884 240,610 1S83 182,560 18SG 119..523 13S7 163 62J 18S3 237,551 1889 239,527 1890 228.731 1891 212,097 1892 270,150 1893 270,780 1891 174,252 t. . Acres oats. . 6>,350 72,523 7V.03-J 88,723 128,381 153,742 $9,280 l)-\37O -.JC437 106,824 129.133 112.846 140,820 122,911 132.880 153,446 113,048 117.6*6 112,894 141,211 Acres barley. 15,730 16,820 16,047 13,75/ J7.063 73,095 S8.6J0 17.728 14,4*3 16,179 19.450 17,320 9,031 11,310 18.477 16,143 15,725 10,361 9,s69 11.S65