Facts And Figures Show Importance Of Fertile Northland

Northern Advocate, 31 March 1937, Page 6

Facts And Figures Show Importance Of Fertile Northland

TTOW much do you know of Nor thland? Bo you know all you should? If you feel you want to know more than you do already, read this article, which has been p re pared for your bene/St

It is splendidly served with navigable waterways. Waiwera, Puhoi, Warkworth, Mangawai, Waipu, One Tree Point, Whangarei Heads, Parua Bay, Onerahi, Ngunguru, Tutukaka,Whananaki, Whangaruru, Russell, Paihia, Kerikeri, Whangaroa, Totora North, Mangonui, Awanui, and Parengaranga on the East Coast, and Dargaville, Helensville, Fort Albert and Pahi on the West Coast can all be served by small coastal craft, while large vessels can work the ports of Whangarei, Opua, Whangaroa and Mangonui. Other means of transport besides shipping are by roads, of which from Auckland northwards there are 55 miles of dustless surface and 923 miles of gravel or macadam surface.

The farms in Northland which cannot now be reached by metalled road, are very few, and these are fast being- connected up. Every reason exists, therefore, why Northlanders should look to the future with confidence. The days of the roadless North are gone, and there exists today every facility for transport. The railway and the highways, with a network of feeder roads, the standard of which is being steadily improved, make motor traffic easy, while there are few portions of New Zealand so well served with waterways and harbours, which allow for the economic distribution of farming requirements. Area of Northland. The total area of the eight counties mentioned above is 3,406,720 acres, of which 1,281,698 acres are in grass or In cultivation. This represents l-16th portion of the total grass and cultivated lands of the Dominion. 4 The total area owned and occupied but not all improved, is 2,246,177 acres. This figure represents l-20th of the total occupied lands of the Dominion.

The number of farm holdings in the province, exclusive of interior boroughs and town districts, is 7395, and : the average area of each holding is 300 acres. Stock-Carrying Capacity. The eight counties of Northland carry: 17,691 horses—l-15th of the Dominion's total of 276,170. 454,824 cattle—l-10th of the Dominion's total of 4,254,078. 210,221 dairy cows in milk—l-9th of the Dominion's total of 1,823,358. 22,202 dairy cows, dry—l-6th of the Dominion's total of 128,149. 232,423 dairy cattle in milk and dry—-l-B.th of the Dominion's total of 1,951,507. 709,547 sheep (shorn), 35-36—1-37th of the Dominion's total of 26,278,477. 144,885 lambs (shorn), 35-36—1-25th of the Dominion's total of 3,618,648. 367,231 lambs (tailed)—l-43rd of the Dominion's total of 15,696,617. 771,081 sheep, including lambs as at 30/4/36—1-39th of the Dominion's total of 30.113,704. 83,599 pigs—l-10th of the Dominion's total of 808,463. Or 1,327,201 head of all kinds of farm animals, on a total area of 1,242,396 acres of grassed and cultivated land, or 2,246,177 acres of occupied land. Comparative Table. The following useful table shows the ! stock carried in Northland in 1913 and 11936, respectively:—

ing dairy cattle), other cattle and sheep jhave doubled in number and dairy J cattle have increased five fold. Horses in 1936 were approximately threequarters those of 1913.

Fertilisers Being Used. I For the year ending 31/1/36 the total i area of land top-dressed in the North j Auckland Land District, which extends to, and embraces, the county of FrankI hn, was:—

289.915 Acres with artificial fertilisers. 20,018 Acres with lime only. 162,433 Acres with both artificial fertilisers and lime. This is a total of 472,366 acres being top-dressed.

t It is impossible to state in what por- ! non of the North Auckland Land Disj tnct thls was used, but if it is averaged I ou t> *t would mean that approximately j one quarter of the grassed and cultii cated lands are at present being : treated. If 472.366 acres each received scwt, ! tho total quantity of lime and fertiliser ! used last year in the North Auckland Land District, which extends to, and j embraces Franklin, would be 70 854 1 tons.

Dairying Industry. I The dairying industry has shown j very rapid development in Northland ■during the last 10 or 15 years, and i illustrates the value of this portion of j theUDominion for the grazing industry ; andVihe suitability of its climate for the I carrying of stock. The progressive and Increasing pro- | . u J lOn of butter over the past 10 years j js demonstrated py the following table; j Season 19%'-^7. 8.493 tons. I 4927-28. —10,647 tons. 1928-29.—13,068 tons, j 5 1929-30.—15,387 tons. 1 ” 1930-31,—15,204 tons, j ” 1931-32. —18,230 tons. 1932-33.—22,561 tons i ” 1933-34.-23.283 tons. [ 1934-35.—24,956 tons, j ” 1935-36.-23,616 tons, j Simultaneously. with this rapid j growth in the industry 0 f butter pro--1 duction, useful and increasing employ - I ment has been found for the men on the land.

Maps and statistics have been in Northland, and these reveal sharply Northland, and these reveal sharplyththe importance and the possibilities of development in the area.

The facts and figures tell an aston ishmg story, which starts as follows: —

Northland is essentially a grazing country. It enjoys a warm and equable climate, which may almost be described as sub-tropical; its mean average temperature is 63' degrees Fa renheit, and its mean average rainfall up to December 1932 was 62.3 inches.

Of recent years this has increase d somewhat. Its climate and rainfall make it essentially a grazing country. Slock of all kinds thrive on its pastures.

Dairy farmers increased in number from 1926-27 as follows:—l926-27, 4299; 1927-28. 4757; 1928-29, 5440; 1929-30, 5823; 1930-31, 6295; 1931-32, 6898; 193233, 7799; 1933-34, 8250; 1934-35, 8454; 1935-36. 8451. Distribution of Dairying Industry. The following table shows the distribution of this industry over the province of Northland:—

Placing a conservative value of £IOO per ton on the butter output, the value of this industry to the nine counties, including Waitemata, last year, was £2,361,600 and, excluding Waitemata, the 20,000 tons of butter produced by the eight counties already mentioned would be £2,000,000.- ' Disposal of Butter. The total imports of butter into the United Kingdom for the year ending December, 1936, were 487,600 tons, an increase of 13,450 tons on the previous year. Imports from Empire countries were 5 pef cent smaller, and comprised 53 per cent of the total, compared with 57 per cent in 1935. Imports from foreign countries increased by 11 per cent. Consumption at Home showed a slight decline, and is estimated at 24.8 lbs. per head, compared with 25.2 lbs. per head in 1935. The price, however, improved by about 10 per cent. Imports of butter from New Zealand last year totalled 139,590 tons. This represents 27 per cent of the total imports of butter into the United Kingdom. Pigs And Wool. The eight counties of Northland produce l-10th of the pigs of the 'Dominion, from which it may be assumed that Northland’s proportion of export will be in the same ratio. The wool from -the sheep shorn last year—7oo,ooo in round figures—should, at £2O -per bale, represent a total revenue from this source of not less than £300,000. Northland as yet, however, has not developed the wool producing industry to any extent.

1913. 1936. Horses , 22,958 17,697 Cattle fin eluding dairy cattle) 162,683 454,824 ! Dairy cattle ... 44,366 232,423 I Other cattle ... 113,317 222,401 | Sheep 360,806 771.081 1 This table shows that cattle (incl'ud-1

County. Suppliers. Tons Mangonui 880 2158 Whangaroa 294 .523 Hokianga 849 1540 Bay of Islands 777 1579 Hobson 920 3100 Whangarei 2196 6477 Otamatea 942 3491 Rodney 396 1110 Waitemata • 1197 3638 Totals 8451 23.616