CROP STATISTICS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1173, 7 July 1911, Page 8

CROP STATISTICS.

LARGE DECREASE FOR PRESENT SEASON. An interesting set of crop statistics is presented in the currant Gazette by .the Government Statistician"( Miv M. Fraser); He; states that the last collection of tho agricultural and pastoral statistics was made bv the Department, of Agriculture in October, "1003. for the 1905-9 season.. No- collection was mado either in lllti;,or.in 1910, but in April last a re.tu;n, .in connection with the general census, was taken under tho provisions of tho Census and Statistics Act. 1910. 011 April 3, the date of the census, the crops were all, harvested, but farmers and others were requested to show. the crops 011 Hrfir land for the 1910-11 season, and although", owing to chango of ownership of land,-and other causes, some of the schedules'were not as accurate as they rniglrc havo been, tlio totals will not l>3 materially affected. The following return of corn and green crops must bo treated as an "interim return," as there are still some schedules outstanding. The figures, however, may be taken as substantially correct. Compariug the grain and green crops with the returns of two years" ago, both show a large decrease this year. This can. be accounted for by the drought experienced in several parts of the Dominion last summer ; and by the increase of dairying and of sheep-farm-ing. The principal decreases are in Canterbury and Otago, where the drought was very severe, and where tho turnip and other crops were, in many instances, total failures. In grain crops it will, bo noticed .that whilst there is an increase in .the area under Wheat amounting to 81,859 acres, oats, .on tho other hand, show the verv.large decrease of 155,55'/ acres. • Fpllownig.are, tho summarised increases.l and decreases .for tho Dominion for 1010-11, as compared with tho 190S-9 season:— . ■ . INCREASES. Acres. Wheat 81,859 Maize -1,135 I'cas 8,624 Beans 586 Vetches 1-t Linseed 2,009 Hops 14 Other grain crops 3SG Mangolds 1,880 Beet 1/1 Carrots 307 Total 100,028 DECREASES. Acrcs. Oats 155,557 Barley 14,225 Eye 419 Potatoes 1.554 Turnips 83,017 Rape and kalo 13.R00 Other (green) crops 2,760 Total . 271,692 There is thus a total net decrease of 171,GG4 acrcs.