NEW SOUTH WALES WHEAT.

Northern Advocate, 22 October 1920, Page 4

NEW SOUTH WALES WHEAT.

LARGE ADDITIONAL AREA,

The preliminary estimate of the Government Statistician is that in New South Wales this year 3,585,300 acres have been sown with wheat. This is in keeping with the forecasts that luuLbeen made of the increased acredge cropped* There is an increase, of 535,000 acres, or 17.5 per cent., as compared with the area sown last year. This is still a long way Short of the 5,122,000 acres sown in 1915-16, which stands as the State's record. This year's total has been exceeded in five seasons out of the past eight.

Of, the area under, crop it is estimated that 2,940,600 acres will be harvested for grain and 038,700 acres cut for hay. Should the expectation of three million, acres being reserved for grain be realised, it is quite possible, the way seasonal conditions are developing, for the State to harvest 45,000,000 bushels of wheat, or even more. Official calculations in connection with.the wheat to be handled by the pool have placed the harvest at 40,000,000 bushels.

A significant fact is tfhat there are this year nearly a thousand wheat-farmers. In 1919 wheat was grown on 16,266 holdings: For the current season 17,227 growers have furnished returns. The total area of new ground brought under crop is 142,900 acres —the best result in this connection since 1917.

The area cropped 'has been increased in each of the wheat-growing divisions, as compared with last year, ranging from 15 per cent, in the southwestern slopes to 22 per cent, in the central-western slopes.