THE Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, JULY 13. 1886. AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

Marlborough Express, Volume XXII, Issue 163, 13 July 1886, Page 2

THE Published Every Evening. TUESDAY, JULY 13. 1886. AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

Thb Agricultural; Statistics of the Oolony having been issued by- the Ctovermnent iv a complete form for the past season, we are m a position to analyse them for the benefit of our readers generally and farmers m particular. For the wjiole Colony the yield of wheat m 1880 was 4,2-1-2, 285 bushels from 17:1,801 acres, shewing, i.i comparison with 1885 a diminished area of 00,152 acres ant) dimished produce of 2,024,492 bushels. - Tn 1880 the average per acre was 24/, ; m 1885 it was 25^. The yield of oats was 8,003,702 bushels from 320,488 acres m ISBO, shewing, m comparison with 1885, a diminished area of 2."), "Or; acres, and diminished produce of 3,750,747 bushels. la .1880 the average was 20-one-ninlh ; m 188") it was 34;;. The yield of barloy was 800,810 bushels from 34,003 acres m 1880, shewing, m comparison with 1885, ,-v diminished .area of. 5,100 acres and diminished produce of "00,000 bushels. Tn 1880 the average was 23 and tenfile venths ; m 188.-) it was "0.1. The yield of potatoes was 113,753 tons from 24,82:> acres, shewing m comparison with 1885, an increased area of 3,475 acre 3 but a diminished produce of 0,751 tons. In 1880 tho average was 4 and seven-tvolfths ; m 1885 it was s|. The quantity of grain m hand" for the whole Oolony m April last was as follows :- Wheat, 107,01.7 bushels, or 1 35 th of last year's crop ; oats, 470,301 bushels, or l-25th of last year's crop ; barloy, 30,73 L bushels, or 1-30 th of last year's crop. Turning to Marlborontrh, we find that m the case of wheat there was a diminished area of 310 acres under crop m 1880, and the average per acre was 22 and two-thirds hushelsas against 25 and two-thirds m I£Bs. In the cases of oats there was an increased area under crop of 300 acres, but. the average was33f us against 41 and threefifths iv 1885. In the ease of barley there was a diminished area under crop of 3(50 acres, and the average was 27 and one-third^ as against 33f m 1885. In the case ', of potatoes, there waaan increased area under crop of 234 acres, but tho average foil from 8 and two-thirds tons m 1885 to 0 tons m 1880. The Marlborough stocks of grain m hand iv April last were its follows :— Wheat, 2502 bushels, or l-24th oE the 1,885 crop ; oats, 2010 bushels, or I 54th of the 1885 crop ; birley, 1524 bushels, or 103 rd of the 1885 crop. These latter figures comt arp favorably with tho returns for th« svholo Colony, and show that tho stagnation, m the tuarkot here was not-

o marked as iv other parts. The ' .vorage return for wheat this year is | omowhat leas for Mailboiough than '■ or the whole Colony, but for oats aud • Wiley our Marlborough farmers had srops considerably greater than the Zealand average. To the future irospecti of agriculturists wo shall ■efor m another article.