Farm and Garden.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 383, 14 June 1879, Page 11

Farm and Garden.

A volume of Australasian Statistics has recently been issued by the Government statist of Victoria. In it we may see ourselves as others see us, and it may be worth while to summarise a few of the facts to be gleaned from a careful study of tho contents of the volume. While doing so we shall in the present article confine any comparisons which it may seem advisable to institute, more especially to particular products. We desire to devote our attention to the agricultural returns which have been made, to point out the large amount of grain produced in this colony. While doing so we shall take the opportunity of bringing the comparison down to 1879 as far as New Zealand and Victoria are concerned whenever the figures appear to render such a course desirable. We believe that the information to be derived from the analysis which we propose will more than repay the labor attached to the undertaking.

Two other colonies are returned by the Victorian authority as having more land under tillage than New Zealand, the figures given being : 1877-78. IS7S-79. Acres. Acres. Victoria 1/120.502 .. 1,564,924 South Australia.. .. 1,828,115 .. New Zealand .. .. 050,528 .. 1,134,155 Before proceeding further, we may as well state that although the second column in this table is calculated according to the example set by a high authority, we assert that it by no means does justice to this colony. Mr. Hayter practically admits this, as ho states in a foot-note " that "land under permanent artificial grass in "New Zealand amounting to 2,563,749 " acres, of which 1,034,364 acres had " been, and 1,531,385 had not been, pre- " viously ploughed, is not entered as " green forage or included in the total " area under tillage as in the other colonies." The following table shows the place which might fairly be claimed by New Zealand in the above table for 1877-78 according to the statistical returns. For the year 1878-79 we have shown the land under tillage, both inclusive and exclusive of the land previously ploughed, which has been returned as under artificial grasses. We think that the latter, i.e., the smaller area, ought certainly to be included in the land under tillage, and are at a loss to understand upon what plea it is excluded from Mr. Hayter's Australasian tables of statistics. LAND UNDER TILLAGE.

From the .above table it will be seen that relatively to population New Zealand holds a high if not a leading position as an agricultural country among the Australian colonies. We are quite prepared to admit that much of the surface-sown land included under the heading " land not pro- " viously ploughed," has no right to be regarded as under artificial grass. But a considerable portion of this area is land now under grass which was formerly bush, and such land probably produces more green forage per acre than any other class of land.

The above tables, however, do not thoroughly exemplify the claim which we put forward for New Zealand to be regarded as almost, if not quite the leading grain-producing colony of the Australasian group. The quantities of grain actually produced will afford even more convincing testimony of the agricultural advancement of this colony. We have therefore prepared the following tables showing the acreage and yield of wheat and oats in tho three chief grain-growing colonies in this group —barley and other grain has been excluded for the sake of simplification, although New Zealand "rows more than her neighbours:— LAND UNDER WHEAT AND OATS, SHOWING ACREAGE AND ESTIMATED PRODUCE OE EACH CEREAL.

From the above table it appears that in 1877-78, New Zealand grew 12,265,000 bushels of wdieat and oats, Victoria 9,058,000 bushels, and South Australia 9,454,000 bushels. In 1878-79 New Zealand grew 14,427,000 bushels, and Victoria 8,062,000 bushels. Barley and other grain affect the result so slightly that we prefer to confine our attention to the consideration of these two cereals

only. Ifc is worth noting that in 1878 the whole of the Australasian colonies only produced 8,978,000 bushels of oats, in 1879 New Zealand alone produced 8,357,000 bushels ; being an increase on the previous year, according to the Registrar - General's returns (which differ slightly from Mr. Hatter's) of 2,427,000 bushels.

We find that in 1878 Victoria produced 12*4 bushels of wheat and 19'3 bushels of oats per acre. In Now Zealand the returns showed in 1877-78 2G'O bushels of wheac and 31 - G bushels of oats per acre. During the present year the yield per acre waa somewhat less in New Zealand, as by calculation we find that the average produce was estimated at 22'5 bushels of wheat and 30*1 bushels of oats. From a carefui consideration of the facts disclosed by the above figures we are led to believe that whatever may be said about New Zealand as a wheat-growing colony, enough oats were grown last season to supply almost the whole of the Australian market. The production is simply enormous, and the astounding increase of nearly two million and a half bushels during the past year proves what giant strides agriculture is making in New Zealand. At the present timo the proceeds of the sale of this grain will help to relieve the monetary pressure, but Ave do not regard mere grain-growing as a sign of agricultural prosperity in itself. A large area (158,000 acres) of land, which had been previously under the plough, was brought under grass during the past year in New Zealand, and we regard this is as evidence that much of the land yearly broken up is only cropped with a view to laying it clown under artificial grasses. Few people are aware that New Zealand now grows considerably (about a third) more grain than either "Victoria or South Australia, and it grew almost as much oats last season as were grown in all Australasia the year before.

ANNUAL MEETING WELLINGTON HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY.

The annual meetnig of the Wellington Horticultural Society was held in the Athenreum on Friday night. There was but a poor attendance of members. Mr. H. H. Travers occupied the chair. MINUTES. The minutes of the previous annual meeting were read and confirmed. ANNUAL REPORT AND BALANCE-SHEET. "Three exhibitions have been held during the past season, upon the success of each of which members may fairly be congratulated ; the exhibits being quite as numerous as last season, and of a decidedly superior quality, betokening greater skill and care. " The committee regrets to state that owing to the impossibility of securing a suitable hall, the Bpring and summer exhibitions were not a financial success ; however, arrangements were made for holding the autumn show in the Arcade, Manners - street ; the result was highly gratifying, it being generally admitted that a better display had never been seen in Wellington, while the amount taken at the doors was greater than at the two previous exhibitions together. A special feature in this show was the very fine collection of Nelson-grown fruit, exhibited by Mr. H. Budden ; this exhibit obtained a * Certificate of Merit,' the only one awarded during the year.

"From the balance-sheet attached it will be seen that the total income of the society is considerably less than last year ; this your committee attributes chiefly to the commercial depression at present so heavily felt in Wellington. However, it should be stated that out of about a£ls due to the society the greater part will in all probability be recovered. "The total income of the society is £175 4s. 7d., or £22 6s. Sd. less than last year ; the expenditure amounted to £173 13s. Id., leaving a balance of £1 lis. 6d. in the hands of the treasurer.

" The thanks of the society are diie to the followingfor theirliberalityinpresenting special prizes to be competed for at the society's shows: — His Honor the Chief .Justice, Hon. J. Johnston, M.L.C., Mr. G. Hunter, M.H.R, Mesdames Powne, Burne, Joseph Burne, Basher, Hirst, S. S. Downes, Hislop, Freeman, Jacob Joseph, E. W. Mills, A. P. Stuart, E. Anderson, F. Cooper, Messrs. Kohn and Co., Barraud and Son, McLeod and Weir, Gardner and Co., Blundell Brothers, Wilson and Richardson, Gear and Co., Kirkcaldie and Staines, J. and H. Barber, Greenfield and Stewart, Lyon and Blair, We3t Wanganui Coal Company. " The committee also desires to thank those gentlemen who so kindly consented to act as judges, and to assure them that their decisions have given general satisfaction. " The following plants have been exhibited tinder the head ' new or rare':—Allamauda violacea, Tradescantia zebrina." On the motion of Mr. Phillips, seconded by Mr. Buchanan, the report and balancesheet as read were adopted. members' tickets. It was resolved, on the motion of Mr. PhilLITS, that Rule 7 be struck out, and in its place substitute, " That holders of 55.-. tickets should allow such member to any of the society's shows, but should not allow them to exhibit." PATRONS. The Secretary stated that he had written to his Excellency and Lady Robinson, asking them t to become patrons of the society, and that they had moat willingly acceded to the request of the society. ELECTION of officers. On the suggestion of the committee, Mr. Joaeph Burns,was elected president. ' TJm Hon. f-?r>b'* -Johnntovi N<wirn: Aj I*«

Stewart, aud W. H. Levin were elected vicepresidents. Mr. T. W. Kirk was re-elected secretary and treasurer.

The following were elected the committee : —Messrs. F. Cooper, J. A. Salmon, T. Kirk, W. Phillips, Buchanan, Captain Johnston, H. lE. Travers, W. Jay, McKay, Bromley, and Basher. Mr. W. M. Bannatyne was elected auditor. VOTE OF THANKS. A vote of thanks to Messrs. Travers and Son, for the use of their offices for holding the meeting, was carried unanimously. EXPERIMENTS ON" PLEUROPNEUMONIA AT THE BROWN INSTITUTION. (From the Field.) A report on a series of experiments at the Brown Institution by Dr. Burdou Sanderson and Mr. Dugnid, late veterinary surgeon to the institution, now inspector in the Veterinary Department of the Privy Council, is published in the " Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society" which has just been issued. In a preliminary report which was published in 1876, Dr. Sanderson stated the objects of the inquiry, which was conducted under the auspices of the Royal Agricultural Society, and in tho present report he refers to the intention of the experiments as follows :—"The circumstances which led to the inquiry were set forth in a preliminary report which was published in 1876. At that time no experiment had been made, but our first batch of experimental animals had been purchased, viz., two cows, two calvec, aud four other animals of different age?. They have been kept at Wandsworth-road for three months—a timo which -we consider sufficient, but not more than sufficient, to afford security against any previous infection. I then stated that wt. should exclude any liviny source of infection from our premises, but would try, iu succession, every channel of mediate contagion kuown to us, using in our experiments all that deliberation and caution which tho consideration of the importance and difficulty of the inquiry forced upon us." In the next paragraph the intention of the inquirers is still more definitely expressed in these words :—" Our objects have been—(l) to ascertain by experiment by what different ways a healthy animal can be infected ; (2) to ascertain whether inoculation is practically useful ; and (3) to discover a way of inoculating an animal without risk." Since public attention has been attracted to the existence of lung disease of a fatal and contagious type among the cattle of this kingdom, it has been known that some difference of opinion has prevailed among veterinary authorities as to the manner of the extension of disease. No doubts exists as to the ready communicability of the affection from a diseased to healthy animals. In a certain number of animals so exposed, some will suffer and some will escape ; but the possibility of the propagation of the affection by other means and agencies than the direct association with a living diseased beast has been asserted and denied by those who have had opportunities of observing the course of thediseaseuuderdifferent conditions. A question of so definite a character Bhould be settled without difficulty, it would seem, by an appeal to experiment, and we have in previous articles on this subject referred to experiments in mediate contagion which were attended with negative results. Healthy cattle have repeatedly been exposed to coutact with diseased lungs without injury. Cotton wool, which had previously been inserted into the nostrils of a diseased cow has been introduced into the nostrils of healthy animals without causing any disease ; and we are aware of one experiment in which the fluid which had drained from diseased animals was distributed, by means of a spray-producer, through the air of a shed in which several cattle were kepc, for some time without any ill effects. At the Brown Institution attempts to communicate pleuro-pueu-monia to ten cattle of various ages began in 1876; and it appears from the report which is just now before us, in 1879, that the results were negative. The animals were exposed to contact with diseased bangs ; they were fed and attended to by men " who were in the habit of handling the diseased organs which were at that time frequently brought to the institution for pathological examination ;" and the fluid from the lungs of animals which had been killed in consequence of pleuro-pneumouia was injected into the circulation. Iu no case, however, did the disease arise in consequence of the introduction of the infected matter in these various ways. Inoculation by means of puncture into the tissues beneath the skin, and also by injection of the morbid fluid into the veins, T/as the next subject of inquiry ; and on this point Dr. Sanderson considers that something has been gained. It is admitted now by all competent observers that inoculation with the exuded fluid from diseased lungs does not produce pleuro-pneumouia. As Dr. Sanderson remarks, tho observations quoted in support of tho assertion that tho disease can be so induced are " too good to be true." 11<; also combats another notion in these terras : - " Another statement that has beeu inado with reference to the mode of action of inoculation is equally unfounded, viz., that, although inoc•lation never produces actual pleuro-pneu-monia, yet that it gives rise, at the place where the morbid material is introduced beneath the skin, to a local disease, which is of the same kind as the real disease of the lungs, and that consequently the effect of inoculation is to produce a sort of pleuro-pneumouia of the skin."

Further on, Dr. Sanderson allows that the effects of inoculation do not justify the conclusion that the operation will confer any immunity against the attack of the disease ; and state 3 clearly that the only way in which the question of the protective power of inoculation can be decided "is by observing whether inoculated animals can get pleuro-pneumonia by exposure." Thr* pro'Hleal iwl hag ba«sn triad! uj Y'ftriot'a

ways aud in numerous places for more than twenty years, aud it has beeu demonstrated that inoculated animals can aud do take pleuropneumonia, by exposure ; but it is not determined how many inoculated animals escape which would otherwise be attacked, nor is it easy to decide this point, because a considerable proportion of healthy animals will escape an attack when exposed to tho infection, even if they have not been inoculated ; aud as the percentage of non-susceptible subjects has never been ascertained, it is scarcely possible to decide what effect on the degree of non-sus-ceptibility will be produced by inoculation. A series «f experiments on a grand scale might lead to some satisfactory conclusion ; but under the present system of inoculation nothing of a definite character can be expected. As to the risks attending the operation, they may be much diminished by the adoption of the necesary caution, which would be expected of a skilled operator. Mr Priestman, we believe, does not calculate the losses much above one per cent ; wo have known them to exesed ten per cent.

Dr. Sanderson's experiments lead him to beclude that when the virus i 3 injected into the circulation by means of a proper syringe, and by " an operator with sufficient dexterity to perform the operation, aud sufficient conscientiousnes to avoid the known sources of danger, the trial can be made without risk. Certainty as to its value can only be attained by the experience of some years." From the point of view which the members of the veterinary profession may be expected to adopt, the psau of inoculation proposed by Dr. Sanderson has the manifest advantage that its adopption will necessitate the employment of experts to the exclusion of the village cow doctor. Legislation, as at present enforced, permits rather than opposes experiments in inoculation ; the declaration of an infected place for a long period shuts up a number of animals in a defined space ; aud it would not be difficult to apply, as Dr. Sanderson suggests, within tho limits of such place, whatever means of prevention might be deemed worth a trial. THE NEW SHEEP ACT. TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ZEALAND MAIL. Sir, —Upon reading the new Sheep Act, I was astonished at the culpable neglect of our legislators in not having a clause with reference to inspectors shifting their clothes, after inspecting a diseased flock, before they are allowed to go in amongst a clean lot of sheep. I see the A.ct is very strict so far as regards the skins of diseased sheep being packed securely prior to removal from stations ; but according to my humble judgment and experience, I think it is quite as, or even more, necessary that inspectors should be prevented going from a diseased flock to a clean one without shifting their clothes, because they would be more likely to convey contamination than a mere inanimate skin. I trust that you will give this space in your valuable paper, and that my humble effort will lead to what I think is a necessary addition to the Act, under a heavy penalty to any inspector neglecting to do so.—l am, &c, David Brown. Long Point, Porirua.

1877-78. Acres. Per head of population. New Zealand 3,523,277 8 44 Victoria 1,420,502 1*65 South Australia 1,828.115 772 1S78-79. March, 1878. New Zealand, including land previously ploughed .. 3,818,914 0 2 Ditto, excluding ditto 2,317,203 6T> June 30, 1878. Victoria 1,504,924 1-8

Wli eat. Oats. 1877-73. Aero 1 ! BushfR Acr<*s. Bushels. Victoria 504,504 7,018,257 105,234 2,040.480 New Zealand .. 243,400 6,330,300 19G..*J44j 5.920,9(52 South Australia 1,103,040 9,034,092 3,515 42,039 1878-79. Victoria 053.4131 5,715,405 133,403! 2.347,907 New Zealand .. 2G4.577J 0,070,509,277,5471 8,357,150