AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION.

North Otago Times, Volume XXVIII, Issue 2081, 3 January 1879, Page 1 (Supplement)

AGRICULTURAL INFORMATION.

With the object of placing before our readers, in as concise a form as possible, the govermental returns relating to the agricultural work of the colony, we have compiled from the census papers of March 3, 1878, which have lately come to hand, the information which follows. From the tables annexed it will be seen that the County of Waitaki ranks sixthastothe number of holdings in each of the counties mentioned. If we compare this with the number of holdings in the Couuty of Waikouai ti we find that we are considerably behind it. VVaikouaiti County has 154,846 acres freehold and leasehold laud, (exclusive of crown pastoral land) and this is divided into 784 hold- j insrs. Waitaki County has 335,924 acres freehold and leasehold laud, (ex* elusive of crown pastoral land) nnd this is divided into the comparatively smill number of 577 holdings. In the summary of I<uid and crops, wo have not mentioned a considerable number of the Counties, as they are of coinptmtively little importance in the production of cereals. Under this head we tiud that Waitaki stands second in t^e list of producers of the principal cereil ; and fourth for the production of oats. Otago takes tlie premier position for the production of butter, but has to succum'i to Canterbury in her cipac ty for cheese making. In the live stock return we find that W.*itaki occupies no mean position. In the march of progress we are keeping pace with those counties which are. older in settlement thin ourselves, and leaving a considerable uum ber of others in the background. It will doubtless be a profitable occupitimi to compare the figures in the tables as between ourselves and other counties.

In the Wnitaki County there is one freehold astate of " over 20,000 acres to 50,000 inclusive," and there are seven freehold properties of " over 10,000 acres to 20,000 inclusive ;" the number of acres in the seven beins; 118,112. Of properties "over 5000 acres and under 10,000 there are six — made up of 31,651 acres freehold, and 6,397 acres leasehold ; and of those of 1,000 acres to 5,000 there are 24—made up of 34,333 acres freehold, and 16,979 leasehold. We give below in a tabulated form the nuraoer of acres and holdings in the Waitaki County :—: —

It is noted that the above totals cannot be strict y relied on, as many piopropnetors are absent from the colony, and others hays not given particulars respecting such holdings.

TiiHi-e were 18,382 acres in garden or orchard, and 13,298 acres in plantation of forest trees.

C mterbury also beats us in orchard —4451 acres to our 4002 ; and in plantations of forest trees—47B4 acres to our 2541.

There Hie in the colony 985 thrashing machines, divided as fullowa : — Auckland, 92 ; Turaimki, 18 ; Wellui;. [ ton, 58 ; Hawkes Bay, 46; Mailborough, 18 ; Nelson, 61 ; WestlHnd,l ; Cintfi-liiuy, 277; Ulhjju, 414. Ut rea|>iu<r machines, Auckland had 231 ; Tarauaki, 63 ; Well ugtoa, 184 ; Hawkea Bay, 94 ; Marlborougli, 99 ; Nelaou, 100; Westland, 3; Canterbury, 2330, nnd Otaj»o, 1725. Of steam ploughs — Aucklaud 3 ; Taranaki, Wellington, Hawkes Bay, Westland, 0 ; Mai'lborough, 1 ; Kelson, 1 ; Canter bury, 21 ; Otago, 8. And of steam harrows, Auckland had 1 ; Nelson, 1 ; Canterbury, 14; and Otago, 16; the other pi*ovinc\al distviota having none.

Auckland Ttirauaki Well n^ton Hawke'a Bay ... M irlb >rou^h ... Nets >n Westlaud Canterbury Obagu Chatham Islands Butter. 1,634,338 301,010 1,011 BSI 149.G14 121,355 452,40(J 71,524 ],77«,5')9 1,741,479 2,251 Cheese. 295,226 18,012 85,753 4,170 14,792 61,778 500 1,828,136 393,461 50 Totals 7,379,447 2,701,908

Table Xv. — A. suction of this Üblr gives the diurnal production of butti-i hii.l cheese m lbs., in the different provincial districts of the colony :—: —

Wheat Ashley 14,574 Sehvyn 38,156 Ashburton 31,2>i8 Geral.nne 28,472 Wainute 1'1,i87 WaiUki 32,455 Waikouaiti (3,466 Taieri 6,938 Bruca 8,370 Clutha 5,588 Southland 8,938 t. Oats. ] 14,702 28,816 15,995 17,846 11,878 17,441 6 750 9.135 10.941 9.619 20,508 Barley J 2,042 4,531 3,679 1,728 482 2,348 138 164 328 97 305 Potatoes, 908 2,418 282 596 235 842 4HO 636 419 318 844

Table XIV. shows the respective nnmbei of acres under crop in the different; counties, (exclusive of the land and cultivation of the Maoris.) A* in Table X. we only give the returns for those counties which we think will interest our rnadeis :—: —

Auckland Wellington riawkes Bay Vlarlborough tfelaon' Westlaud Uanterbury Jtago Chatham Islands 5,565 holdings 1,018 „ 3,115 „ 947 „ 687 1,792 „ 427 6,388 6,266 2* „ Total 26,229

Table XII. shows the number of occupied holdings of over one acre in extent in the different provincial districts (crown lauus included.) They are as follows :—: —

Provincial Districts Auckland Taranalu Wellington Hawked Biy Marlbjrough Nelson Westland C interbury ')tago Chatham Islands Acres. 218,539 19,150 95,009 12,329 8,823 22,990 6,074 HO. 792 81,4^5 800 No. of hdn^s. 1,097 15< 339 54 40 127 38 445 324 1 Total 605,931 2,618

T.tble XI. shows the number of holdings and the acieige in Provincial Districts of uiiwccupied and uncultivated land* :—: —

Acres r Freehold J Leasehold I No of I to 10 10 to 50 50 to 100 100 to 200 200 to 320 320 to 640 640 to 1,000 1,000 to 5,000 5, OCX) to 10,000 .0,000 to 20,000 !0,000 to 50,000 acres. 302 I.OGG 3,038 8,484 10,204 19,869 8,343 34,333 31,651 118,112 36,000 acres. 217 1,230 1,927 5,906 6,526 14,191 9,772 16,979 6,379 1,395 hdngs. 133 81 64 94 69 76 22 24 6 7 1

A.shburton Cruraldme Waimate Waitaki Waikouaiti Faieri Bruce Clutha Southland Freehold aciei . 308.842 . 288,849 . 3-)6,fi73 . 271,402 , 110,684 . 114,583 . 208,480 27.3,921 . 736,917 Leasehold No of acres, hdngi. 143,060 586 70,283 888 53,659 299 64.522 577 45,162 784 30,520 885 31,801 532 45,296 408 115,152 1,265

Table X. shows the number and acreage of occurred holdings (freehold and leasehold) — crown pastoral l.uid benig excluded In this table the areas .ire classified siccordius; to siz f> , and uivon in counties. As to give the table in dtitml would occupy too mucli «p«c«, and pprliaps be not of much interest, we only h\vp those figures which relata to oufaelve.i and our near nrighlors —

Wheat. Data. Barley flour Auckland 71,344 23,848 4,9.11 979 r.iranaki 30,210 14,277 1,405 62 Wellington 79,909 U 1.022 5,007 221 i mvke\» Bay 13,521 25,748 5,194 89 Uarloorouxh 17 4*2 6,081 2J.349 438 febou 4 ,714 10,341 3u,4/i UUI iVostlaud 1,157 745 ... Bl> ;ante.bury1,295,686 698,101 159, 421 1,469 }Ugo 176.9J5 21U.9U1 17,150 J.OIU Totals 1,726,944 1,092,654 248,929 5,261

A wutioti of th« above t «ble a\*<o the qu mtity of wliu.it, o<tt«, uud barley, (iv bustielx) and of flour (in tons) on h.md at the time of the taking ot the consiis. We give the figured aa for the provincial diatricta: —

Cattle Sheep (including (including Counties. Horses Calves) Lambs). Mongonui 587 4,597 12,250 Bay of Island* 702 3,967 19,898 Hokianga 342 971 669 Hobson 459 5,314 6,616 Whangarei 1,246 9,18.* 31,969 Rodney 809 8,875 21,134 Waitemata 671 5,972 7,825 Eden 2,389 6,695 13,6911 Manukau 3,912 24,319 61,5*8 Co.omandel 229 1,428 1,497 Thame« 685 2,947 3,:<55 Piako 500 4,600 12,216 'J\niranga 739 2,929 5 721 Whukatane 807 3,886 10". 930 Cook 2,191 6,527 200,797 VVdiroa 643 1,259 148,372 RistTaupo 81 107 12 Waiua 2,144 14,170 44,652 Waikato 1,284 7,893 27,042 Raglan 561 5,227 21,52 U Kawlua 155 214 ♦ 170 Taiauaki 2,383 13,943 25,447 Pate i 2,743 30,181 122,854 Wanganui ,3,566 18,712 16J,8Ii> Kaugitikei 2,752 15,372 173,241 Manawatu 2,718 13,925 112,641 Hint 2,836 9.3U9 124,234 Wairarapa West 4,340 17,574 227,460 Waiwrapa East 1,553 14, 147 51 1 ,982 Wtrtpawu 2,987 14.398 667,954 Hcvwke'sßay 3,330 12,665 781,302 Sounts 38 862 13,951 Marlborough 3,001 6,312 659,543 Kaikoura 719 1,002 126 408 VV.iimea 3,530 10,710 87,019 Uoliingwood 598 4,374 14,9i>l Butler 241 1,972 358 Inangahua 482 3,642 6,368 Grey 825 4,135 6,052 WVtland 885 6,044 3,202 Amuri 712 1,424 378.356 Cheviot 129 ,459 137,000 Ashley 7.C57 20,499 7u7,898 Auaroa 1,710 19,040 159,556 Sehvyn 13,740 34,358 664.827 Ashburton 4,905 7,807 626,331 Geraldiae 6,718 13.116 838,121 Wahnate 2,922 5,490 563,568 Waitaki 5.198 15,310 650,198 Waikouaiti" 3,2i3 12,170 26J.071 Penm,ula 690 4,175 3,204 Taieri 5,066 17,996 301,097 B.uce 3,053 10,220 179,294 Cluiha 2,655 10,643 274,363 Taupeka 3,459 13,769 392,733 Maniatoto 1,346 3,933 381,194 Vincent 2,048 6,654 519,704 Like 1,926 5,253 375,480 Southland 7.354 37,842 738,6 6 Wallace 2,079 9,864 365,778 Stewart M u d 10 100 281 Adjaoent Islands 187 2,112 11,7-2 Chatham lalaud* 807 772 49,350 ftftii ~uf7,7& m,Miy>m>w

Table XVI. gives a summary of live stock by counties. We have omitted any details as to the number of pigs, mules, asses, goats, and poultry. The table is exolusire of stock belonging to Maoris:—

wheat iailey Potatoes Durnip or rape 226,354 acres 204 254 „ 21,795 „ 18,375 „ 143,555 „

Fiom Table XI I we take the munlier of acre* of crop, &c, for the wliulh of New Zealand as was represented by the census of Match 3, 1878. As this hiid reference ta last year's crop, we give it merely as information to tlwft of our {twto wiio ]^v^&gt ytft

hud an opportunity of perusing the GovAniiiieut tables : —

tALI llinjiuivi f JVheat. 34,095 Oats. Barley. 89,496 12,541 Potatoes 4,512 75,578 OTAGO. 94,350 4,168 5,035

The following will show the diffeience iv acres between the area of land under crop iv Canterburj and that under crop in Otago :—: —