AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11597, 11 March 1901, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

INCREASED AREA UNDER CROP.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

Wellington-, Saturday. The agricultural and pastoral statistics for the colony were published in a supplementary Gazette to-night. The first figures given are the complete returns of the areas Tinder corn crops at Octobe. 15 last. These were as follows, figures in brackets denoting increase or decrease on area? under the same crops for the preceding year : — Wheat : For threshing, 206.465 acres (decrease, 63,284 acres) ; for chaffing, ensilage, and feeding down, 1619 acres (increase 926 acres). .

Oats : For threshing, 449.534 acres (increase, 51,291 acres) ; chaffing, etc., 191,507 acres (decrease, 1945 acres). Barley : For threshing, 30,831 acres (decrease, 17,172 acres) ; for ensilage, etc., 4506 acres (increase, 1730 acres). Potatoes : 28,326 acres (decrease, 8460 acres).

Turnips :' 404,333 acres (decrease, 11,129 acres).

Mangolds :' 7341 acres (decrease, 710 acres).

Rape : 124,318 acres (decrease, 1049 acres). Beet : 385 acres (decrease, 230 acres). Carrots : 1627 acres (decrease, 128 acres). The following is a summary of the crops and grasses for the colony :—Corn crops, 949,492 acres ; grasses, 32,711,211 acres ; green crops, 671,717 acres ; plantations, 90,233 acres : total, 34,422,653 acres, an increase of 488,920 acres on the area in crop for the preceding 12-monthly period. Besides the crops particularised above, the Undermentioned show an increase in area for the year as follows :—Vetches, 54 acres increase ; linseed, 86 acres ; hops, 56 acres ; grasses on ploughed land, 101,728 acres ; surface sown grasses, 163.549 acres ; tussock and native grass, 525,647 acres ; plantations, 452 acres ; private gardens, 251 acres ; market gardens, 270 acres; orchards, 1299 acres ; vineyards, 77 acres. The decreases are as follows: Rye, 1241 acres decrease ; maize, 3421 acres ; peas, 1213 acres ; beans, 165 acres ; hay, 211 acres ; ensilage, 1137 acres ; seed grasses, 35,319 acres.

The total numbers of stock in the colony at April 30, 1900, and at April 30, 1899, Were as follows : -- ,

1899. . 1900. Horses ... 262,390 ... 256.725 Cuttle .. 1,222,139 ... 1,256,680 Swine ... 249,751 ... 250,957 Sheep ... 19,343,506 ... 19,355,195 The following table shows the distribution of horses, cattle and sheep over the different provinces': — - , , Horses. Cattle. Sheep. Auckland ... ... 59,450 298,089 903,254 Hawke's Bay ... 27.741 116,006 4,503,556 Taranaki ... ... 17,015 211,459 503,948 Wellington ... 42,403 264.571 4,082.415 Marlborough ... 5,359 12,536 789,218 'Nelson ... ... 7,038 28,859 275,566 .-•/-,-Westland' 2,145 15,791 28,533 Canterbury ... 50,015 93.266 4,516,955 Otago 54,759 186,103 3,746,750 Totals ... ... 266.725 1,256,630 19,355,195 In the following table, showing the acreage hnder wheat, oats, and barley, sown or intended to be sown this season, the counties of Waiapu and Cook are included in the Hawke's Bay district, and the counties of Amuri and Cheviot in the Canterbury district : _ Wheat. ' Oats. Barley. Auckland ... 3.244 36,475 : 768 . Hawke's Bay . 928 13.274 1.658 . • Taranaki 920 9,056 318 Wellington 5.996 39,462 994 Marlborough- 2,883 11,084 5.081 . Ne<son ... 1,349 : 13,531 4,152 Westland .... - 741 - Canterbury >- 148,297 : 234,883 ' 14.867 . . Otago .. 44.467 232.071 7,499 ; lotala ,.. 208,084 ' 641,041 35,337 \