NEW ZEALAND TO THE FRONT!

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9255, 8 January 1889, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND TO THE FRONT!

Under this heading I am about to write a brief paper on New Zealand as an agricultural country, the commencement of the year being an opportune time for bringing the subject before settlers and the general public, so that the former class may remember and properly appreciate the superb land in which their lot is cast, and the public generally may be informed of a few very important matters they are apt to forget or ignore. And by way of introduction it may not be out of place to quote what Dr. Hochstetter wrote anent this colony, after a close and lengthy inspection. He drew the following glowing picture of the land of our adoption :— " On looking over the numerous colonies of great and glorious Albion—that vigorous parent tree, the branohes and saplings of which are taking root and thriving in all parts of the world—and comparing them with New Zealand, it is at once evident that of all the colonial provinces of the British Crown New Zealand bears the most resemblance to the mother country by virtue of ite insular position, its climate, its soil, and the whole form and structure of the country. It is an empire of islands, a double island, which, thanks to the power of steam, that now-a-days shortens every distance, lies towards the neighbouring Australian continent like Great Britain towards Europe. Blessed with a genial oceanic climate, so admirably suited to the Anglo-Saxon race, with a fertile soil, well watered, and splendidly adapted to agriculture and farming ; with a manifold ooastHine suited perfectly to the notions and habits of the first maritime nation of the world ; it is a country without dangerous animals, without poisonous plants, but rich in mineral treasures ; a country where horses, cattle, and sheep thrive: where fruit, grain, and potatoes grow most abundantly ; a country adorned with all the charms and beauties of grand natural scenery ; a country which would easily support a population of twelve millions, which promises the bold and persevering emigrant a lucative and brilliant future: such a country appears indeed destined before all others to become the mother of civilised nations." So wrote Hochstettß not by way of flattery, but in all sincerity and truth. 1. As an agricultural country, consider the unique climate of this colony, the northern portion of it especially, and it will be apparent that there is no country on this globe better adaptod to the various branches of agriculture, whether cropping, grazing, dairy farming, or sheep farming. During summer there are no intense ana prolonged droughts to burn tip vegetation, and dry up streams and rivers; and during winter,

m the province of Auckland at all events, no snowstorms nor severe frosts oftimes so injurious and destructive to stock. Look at the equable tempera, ture that prevails, and compare it with other countries. For the entire year the mean temperature of Auckland is recorded as about 60-; Wellington, 56-4; ChristChurch, 52-9 ; while the mean temperature of London is 50*36; Edinburgh, 47.84 ; Parts 51-08; Dublin, 49-10. But it is when the coldest and hottest months at New Zealand .are compared with the same months of other places, that the favourable climate of this land becomes manifest. The temperature of the coldest season of the following places are thus tabulated : — Auckland 52.2; New Plymouth, 50'7 ; Napier, 51-2 • Wellington, 47'1. Now, contrast the3e with New York, 25-34; Paris, 36-14; London, 37-76; Dublin, 35*42; Rome, 42-26. And if the warmest months are taken, contrast Auckland 72*4 with New Ycrk 80-78, or Wellington 64 - 1 with Rome 77, or Christ church 61-2 with Paris 65-30. But to come nearer home if this colony is compared with the colonies of Australia, how New Zealand is to the front with her superior climatic characteristics, there being no extremes of temperature, and particularly no scorching hot winds or terribly hot seasons such as are too often experienced in Australia. With such a comparatively even temperature, the warmest season not being oppressive, gentle breezes generally prevailing that tend to cool the atmosphere, 15 must be apparent how remarkably thia colony is adapted for dairying purposes. As a rule, indeed, through the hottest season, even in the Auckland district, butter can be churned and manipulated by settlers, if not during the day, at all events in the cool of the evenings or mornings. And then, with such a climate, how incalculable are the advantages in regard to food for stock. Inmany districts good pasturage continues all the year round ; and for hand feeding, which is desirable in dairy farming, abundance of green stuff can be produced both for sum. mer, autumn, and winter, maize and sorghum growing luxuriantly for the warm months, and oats, barley, Italian rye, and other crops for the cold season, the culture of turnips being practicable from one end of the country to the other. 2. But, in addition to a splendid climate, New Zealand, as an agricultural country] is to the fore in the cropping capabilities of her lands. An observant author, an Englishman, once wrote:—"New Zealand will no doubtsome day become an important and populous country, if not a great nation. She-possesses all the elements to warrant such an opinion, and to justify such a belief. With a fine, if not the finest climate in the world, the colony has every corresponding anvantage. The capabilities of the land are so great, and the produce therefrom so astounding, that a stranger and an eye-witness is almost afraid to record what to distant landowners would naturally appear more like fiction than fact." Now while it has been no uncommon thing for farmers to obtain as high as 60 bushels of wheat, and 70 bushels of oats, and 15 to 20 tons of potatoes to the acre, it would not be true to state that these returns represent the crops generally secured. The following were the average returns per acre for last season : Wheat, 26| bushels ; oats, 31; barley, 27i; potatoes, tons. But as showing the superior yields obtainable in this country to what the average crops are in the other Australasian colonies, the following figures will be of interest, giving the returns of wheat, oats, and potatoes for eight years:— Wheat. Oats. Potatoes Bushels. Buahels. Tons. New Zealand .. .. 27-02 33-24 611 Tasmania 17'85 24'41 3-35 New South Wales .. 14-52 19"50 2-94 Victoria 12 65 10-32 3-22 Queensland .. .. 13-17 15-01 248 South Australia .. .. 8 - 33 12-SS 3'30 Western Australia .. 12-05 16-60 2-SO These figures show in black and white how superior is New Zealand as an agricultural country to her sister colonies, while the averages per acre obtained here for grain or roots will also contrast favourably with European or American returns, 3. But it may be well to consider the substantial progress this colony has made in agriculture and in farming stock, notwithstanding the country being so sparsely populated, which will give some indication of what advance may be made in the future, when the people are doubled or quadrupled, as may be the case before the lapse of many years. The holdings of this colony—freehold or rented—are \mt down at a total of 34,740, an increase of 1400 over the total of 1887, the numbers tabulated being holdings over one acre in extent. It is, of course, difficult to say how many out of this number are bona fide agriculturists or producers for the market. Whatever the exact number might be, lasfe season they had in wheat 357,000 acres, which produced nearly 9,500,000 bushels. In oats they had 336,500 acres, with a return of 10.500,000 bushels. Of barley they grew 28,000 acres, with a yield of nearly 761,000 bushels. Besides all this grain, cocksfoot seed was produced to the tune of 474,500 bushels, while of ryegrass there were 624,500 bushels, which was less by 145.000 to what it was the year before. In potatoes there were 25,300 acres, which gave returns of something like 138,000 tons. Then there were in turnips and rape a total of 338,000 acres. Besides all this, there were no less than 16,300 acres set down as under orchard, and 8600 acres in gardens; and, to crown all, there are now in this colony nearly 6,000,000 acres in sown grasses, almost half of this immense area being sown on land previously broken up, the remainder surface sown. Now, if afl. this wealth of cultivation is put together it will show that New Zealand has iiofc only a grand climate, and capital soil, but an industrious and energetic class of settlers ; because a large portion of the work accomplished, the progress made, has been during the past twenty years. The statistics of farm stock, and particularly the increase that has taken place in their numbers during the past few years, are another significant feature in the process of the colony. At the present time, in regard to quantity of live stock—sheep, cattle,horses, pigs—New Zealand takes a leading position, being second in the list of the seven colonies, having a total of 18,130,280, according to the last returns, made up as follows :—Sheep, 16,677,445 ; cattle, 595,461 ; horses, 187,382 ; pigs, 369,992. During the pa3t seven years every kind of stock has increased, but notably sheep, the total increase being upwards of 4000,000. I might enter into some details about the shipments of frozen meat that are now so important a factor in our exports ; about wool, also grain, tallow, and other products, that are such a source of wealth to the country, all of which are the productions of the soil, the returns of agricultural labour and skill. And reference, too, may be made to the shiploads of provisions of various kinds that have of late been finding their way to the Sydney markets, but these particulars would extend this paper to an undue length. Whatever croakers may write or assert about this colony, and whatever the false impressions that have got abroad respecting its position, no reasonable person can study its genial climate, its fertile soil, its valuable productions, and its wonderful progress without being impressed with the conviction that New Zealand is worthy of being placed in, and that indeed it occupies, a front rank in the colonial possessions of the British Empire ; and happy are the people that have New Zealand for a permanent home. Agricola.