AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10359, 14 May 1895, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

The following are the agricultural statistics for the colony for fche years 1885 and 1894 :■—

How far can the registrar's figures be relied upon is,a question tha. is much debated bufc has nofc ye. been satisfactorily■ answered. If the figures given above are reliable the change which has taken place during the past; few years will best be seen by the following comparison :—

; Land under wheat. Produce S -Acres. Bushels.', 1892 402.27S 10 257 7.R 1893 381245 8 378 217 ?K 4,891.65 1595 148,605 . 3,613,137 The .Lyttelton Times points out that in three years farmers have reduced their production by nearly two-thirds, and now, for fche first time during the last quarter of a century, we have not a single bushel available for export Ifc __ estimated that; the annual - consumption of wheat in the colony amounts to 7*38 bushels per head. This alone will absorb 5,313,600 bushels daring the next 12 months, so that withouti taking into account the amount required for seed-afc least.3oo,ooo bushelsthere is an apparent deficiency of rather more than 1,700,000 bushels. Oar accamuS stocks will ot course save us from any absolute scarcity.

The following are the ajfricnlfcaral statistics tor Canterbury aud Otago for 1895 -.—

1895; 28,937 11,755 5,955 46,647 I 1894. Freehold holdings Rented holdings ; Part freehold, part-rented ... 28,632 10,745 5,910 _. Total number of holdings Land broken up, but not under crop ... (acres) In Wheat— (acres) ! Estimated produce (bushels) j In Oats— : For green feed ... (acres) ! For hay (acres) [ Sor grain ... ... (acres) [ Estimated produce (bushels) j In Barley— (acres) i Estimated produce (bushels) In Potatoes— (acres) Estimated produce ... (tons) In Turnips— (acres) In Other Crops— (acres) Under crop exclusive of grass land ... ... (acres) In Hay— , (acres) Estimated produce ...- (tons) Cocksfoot ... (bushels) Ryegrass (bushels) In Garden— (acres) In Orchard— (acres) 140,265 148,605 3.613,137 29,005 138,5*70 351,849 10,221,353 36,519 1,000,612 25,335 139,881 385.7SI "42,590 45,290 142,342 242,737 4,891,695 16.587 113,517 376,646 12,15:i,06S 29,85S 724,653 21,121 126,540 375,437 36,910 1,167,854 56,625 78,579 339,509 531,243 10,265 21,304 1,221,812 60,740 76,198 226.9S1 513,857 9,951

■ Freehold holdings... Rented holdings ... ". Part freehold, part rented ... Total number of holdings Land broken up, but not under ■■■_ crop- ... ... (acres) In Wheat- (acres) intimated produce ... (bushels) In Oats— For green feed ... (acres) |, 01'ha3.- (acres) Forgraui ... ... (acres) Jistimated produce... (bushels) _In Barley- (acres) i-stimated produce .;. (bushels) In Potatoes- . (acres) Jistimated produce ... (tons) In Turnips- (acies) In Other Crops— . (acres) Under crop exclusive of grass T J?? d *'• "• <acl'es> . -tiAY— (acres) Estimated produce ... (tons) In*grasses after having been broken upV ... (acres) Urass-sown land not previously ploughed (a Cre s) Cocksfoot ... ... (bushels) Ryegrass ... ... (bushels) In Garden— (acre**) In Orchard— ( acres ) Canterbury. 5,153 2 2*1 1,2.0 S.624 Otago. 6,093 2,500 1,565 10,158 30,717 107,a52 2,540,936 47,802 31,653 830,715 ' ■" 8,693 ' 38,747 1 123..42 3,327,998 14,728 423,906 -7,067 44,155 128,225 .18,079 14,726 52,004 188,911 5,920,187 10,116 288,879 6,570 31,381 167,178 5,749 446,436 17,505 24,779 476,907 4,931 7,717 1,384,950 1,303,670 329,082 228,798 159,243 2,278 2,701 , 221,928 15,661 243,201 2,493 2,003