AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVIII, Issue 4697, 12 September 1872, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

To the Editor : Sir, —In yesterday's. Cross I observe BOiae remarks by " Old Colonial" on the agricultural statistics of the colony for 1872, as compared with those for 1871, which he considers are not only ' unfavourable, but actually "disheartening." I have not been favoured with the RegistrarGeneral's returns, but will quote " Old Colo* j nial's" own figures, aud tak« exceptions to some of hia deductions. The inorease of land in cultivation he puts down at 228,745 j acres, or nearly equal to 23 per cent, increase ! for one year. Very disheartening, to com- ' mence with ! He then goes on to show the ' proportion of permanent sown grasses per j 100 acres of the total, in each province ; aud, further on, the proportion of cereals grown ; showing, from the large proportion of land under grasses in the North Island provinces, the necessity which has existed for providing food for their flooks and herds, whilst the Middle Island settlers, owing to the large extent of natural pasture,have been i enabled to turn their attention more to the ! growth of cereals. The increase in wheat I grown he puts down at 30,877 acres, and of oats at 17,356 acres, whilst there was a decrease in barley. The inorease in the aggregate produce of wheat is stated at 614,655 bushels. So far, there still appears | nothing very "disheartening," but rather i the reverse. The next item is the aggregate | produce of oats ; and this shows a decrease of i 79,919 bushela, although the acreage is larger, and he goes on to assert that this is "owing to the absence of skilful farming, " and " that it was in no way to bo attributed to a season of bad weather." Fur T ther, on he alludes to the potato crops being considerably less in produce, notwithstanding a larger acreage, and aßsigns somewhat the same cause for it. Now, sir, it is to these latter remarks that I wish to take particular exception, for it was most undoubtedly to the exceptionally unfavourable season for all spring cereals and the potato crop, owing to the excessively cold and wet spring, and ! subsequent continued drought of several ; months' duration throughout the colony, that fche falling ofl: in the produce of those crops is to be attributed, and not to the causes t which " Old Colonial" endeavours to lay to | iho farmezs' charge. It is, bad enough for I them to, lose fhe reward' of their toil by a dispensation over which they have no control, without being subject to be charged ivith the faults which the remarks iv ques- [ i ion. .would infer, — I am, &c, ' Anotpkr Old Colonist.