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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 172, 23 July 1868, Page 2

The following table of gold produce of New Zealand, for 10 years, with the values, will be interesting, and the falling off in the last year as compared with the previous year, is remarkable and not easily to be accounted for : — 1856-7, 9760z, value 3784/; 1857-8, 17220z, 66,730/; 1858-9, 94820z 36,747/; 1859-60, 61470z, 23,818/; 1860- 1,6341 oz, 24,568/; 1861-2, 449,279 oz, 1,740,634/; 1862-3, 504,8960z, 1,953, 354/; 1863-4, 659,7270z, 2.165,672?; 1864-5, 420,5980z, 1,631,179/; 1865-6, 738,8160z, 2,858,078/; 1866-7, 674,5450z, 2,605,789/.

Large quantities of machinery for quartz crushing, imported from Melbourne, were lying on the wharf at Wellington last week, awaiting shipment to Auckland. The largest machine was sent to the order ofthe Thames Quartz Crushing Company, with an engine of 35 horse power, and driving 40 stampers. The Langdale Foundry in Melbourne is preparing machinery on a large scale for these goldfields, and the Auckland establishments are said to be oppressed with orders for stampers, waterwheels, and every description of implement employed in mining pursuits. A Eyneton (Victoria) paper writes — The high, price of wheat this season is inducing nearly every one to sow it largely. We have heard of as many as 108 acres being sown on a farm of little over 200 acres. It is possible to overdo this cereal, and next year may be either a year of plenty with low prices, or the wheat crop may be a failure and prices indifferent. In either case, oats will command good prices, from the small extent to which they are sown. To the small farmer we would say, sow oats — the seed • will cost 10s. an acre, while wheat will cost 20s. Oats are worth now from 4s. to 4s. 4d. j>er bushel, with every prospect of rising; and, should the mania for wheatsowing continue, oats must rule high next year.