AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1751, 27 September 1905, Page 23

AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

THE YEAR’S OPERATIONS. The annual report of the Department of Agriculture was presented to Parliament on Friday:— The Under-Secretary (Mr Ritchie), reporting to the Minister on the year’s operations, states that the returns from our main products—wool, meat, butter, cheese, and' phormium (New Zealand hemp) fibre—have been especially good. Grain-growers, on the other hand, are finding it a difficult matter to quit their produce at anything like remunerative prices. There is a decrease in the total area under cereals. Evidently farmers are finding it more remunerative to grow wool, meat, and dairy produce, and certainly by doing so (remarks the Under-Secretary) they are not impairing the fertility of their land so much as they would by growing cereals. The weather throughout the season was generally favourable for farming operations. Feed was plentiful, and stock retained their condition. Lambing was above the average.

The increase of cattle for 1903-4 was 132,884, the herds haring steadily \increased. In cows for dairying there is an increase of 30,116, which is not quite so large as last year. Owners of sheep-country are stocking with more cattle. The demand for all classes of cattle has considerably slackened, and unless the price of beef improves at Home, the outlook for holders of fat stock 'is not promising. The complete returns of sheep for this year showed a considerable increase—l9os, 19,130,875; 1904, 18,280,806; increase, 850,069. The season has throughout been favourable, with abundance of feed in nearly every district. Lambing was l above the average, being 80 per cent, for long wools and 55 per cent, for merinos. The number of ewes returned as for breeding was 9,222,448, or an increase of 150,697. There is, says the Under-Secretary, a great need of improvement in the quality of the ram used. The breeding also of many of the ewes is of a very nondescript character. The infusion of so much Southdown and Shropshire blood is the main cause of the trouble. —There is a decrease of 7,242,0741 b of wool exported, but an increase in value of £857,467. Not for many years have prices been so good. There is stiill great room for improvement in the dipping of sheep. The increase in the quantity of butter exported is not quite so large this season ; still, it shows that the industry is progressing favourably. Cheese, however, shows a small decrease. Very few complaints of “fishiness” have reached the department; therefore, it may be assumed that the quality has been generally satisfactory. The department continues its contribution towards the storage of butter prior to shipment, but the amount was reduced to 2d pea* box of 561 b. The industry is now firmly established, therefore further aid in this direction is not required. The grading will, however, be continued on the same lines as in former years.