AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20472, 25 January 1930, Page 19

AGRICULTURAL ITEMS.

Japan imported' 28,379,000 bushels of wheat during the 12 months ended June 30, compared with 21,137,000 bushels in the previous year. Canada furnished 16.970,Q00 bushels, Australia 5,203,000 bushels, and U.S.A. 3,772,000 bushels of the 1928-29 importations.

Exports of grains from the United States during the fiscal year ended June 30 last were as follows, figures for the previous 12 months being quoted in parentheseg Wheat, 121,047,000 bushels (204,301,000); barley 56,996,000 bushels (36,581,000); maize, 40,749,000 bushels (18,390,000) j oats, 10,846,000 bushels (6,034,000).

The Potchefstroom School of Agriculture, South Africa, has produced a new maize variety, called Anveld, a cross between Wisconsin White Dent and an early strain of Hickory King. Anveld is a particularly early maturing maize, which has under certain circumstances given higher yields than either of its parents.

Approximately 2,000,000 acres of new agricultural land have been settled in tho past three years in those parts of Western Canada served by the Canadian National Railways. On the basis of 160 acres to the farm the figures indicate that 12,500 farms have been established in the period. In addition huge areas have been opened up by the Canadian Paeific Railway Company In spite of the rapid development it is estimated that Je?s than half of the land suitable for agriculture has been broken up to date.

The agricultural returns for England and Wales for 1929 show that wheat occupied 1,330,000 acres, barley 1,122,000 acres, and oats 1,852,000 acres, potatoes 518,000 acres, turnips and swedes 699,100 acres, mangolds, 239,100 acres, sugar beet 299,900 acres, and beans 143,900 acres. The total acreago under crops and grass was 25,437,000 acres, of which 0,948,000 acres was arahlo land, and 15,489,00 acres grass land- Cattle totalled 5,956.000 of which 2,053,600 were dairy cows in milk, 293,000 cows in calf, and 364,500 heifers in calf. Sheep totalled 16,103,400 and pigs 2,364.500 while horses numberod 999,100. Hops occupied 23,900 acres, of which 14,790 were in Kent County.

The increasing trade for Red Poll cattle throughout the world is, it is claimed, explained .because of the wider use that agriculturists are making of this milk and beef breed both for pure and cross-breed-ing So far it appears the exports of Hed Polls from England this ye'fcr is already double that of any previous year in the history of the breed. These cattle have, in the'last nine months, been widely distributed ov«.r both hemispheres. This satisfactory trade is not unconnected, it is felt, with tho wider recognition of tho utility of Red Poll cattle for both milk and beef production, Their ability to do well in varying climes is admirably sat out in a series of booklets which have recently been issuod by , the Red Poll Cattle Society These excellently illus* trated publications contain a mass of detailed information concerning the dual properties of the breed.

Preliminary figures recently published by the Office of Census and Statistics, Pretoria, show that the number of sheep in the Union of South Africa, increased from 40,109,826 on August 31, 1927, to 42,500,276 at the end of August, 1028, while the number of goats declined from 7,565,613 to 7,455,142. The Union's production of wool was placed at 216,924,0001b. for 1927-28, compared with 194,110,0001b. for 1926-27 and 167,921,5001b for 1925-26. The census report for the year ended August 31, 1928, showed that the Cape Province had 22,419,000 sheep, the Orange Freo State 12,012,000 sheep, the Transvaal 5,501,000 and Natal 2,569,000. During the past two years the Cape Province and certain parts of Western Transvaal suffered from a severe drought. Losses of sheep and goats from disease, drought and vormin were placed at 5,414,000 for 1927-28, compared with 4,805,000 in 1926-27.