THE COLONY'S FARM PRODUCTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13812, 28 January 1907, Page 4 (Supplement)

THE COLONY'S FARM PRODUCTS.

WELLINGTON, January 10

Tho New Zealand Trade Review contains an interesting statement showing tho occupation and employment of the lands of tho colony and the value o£ resulting products, which constitute such a large proportion of New Zealand's exports. The following table shows the area under grain and green crops and graes since 1885: —

While the area under grain shows a reduction and that under other crops only a slight increase in the latest quinquennium, the area under grass exhibits nn increase of 1,457,000 acres, of which 1,010.000 ie in the North Island, and about 447,000 in the South Island. Tho total grazing area in tho North Island exceeds that in the South Island by 63 per c«:nt., while the bulk of the land undor cereals and other crops is found in the ?outh Island. Ono of the main uses of: these grazing lands is the rearing of sheep, anil the following figures give tho totals of the flocks of New Zealand in the years mentioned;—

In the meantime a very great increase has taken placo in the numbers of our cattle, especially in the North Island. The following are tho totals for tho years 1881 and 1905:Xorfli South W.Mii. Island. Total 1851 .. 381,965 313,652 698,637 1905 .. 1,362,474 418,462 1,810,930 The total for 1905 includes 517.720 dairy cows, of which 366,727 wero in the North and 150,993 in the South Island. The valuo of our exports of pastoral products since 1885 has been as follows: — 1885 £18,699,399 1890 ~ ~ ~., .- .. ~. 24.269,523 3893 ..; .„. ~., 30,832,685 1900 . ... ... 33,009,097 1905 ■ .. . 47,525,287 To put it another ivay, tho oxcess which the exports of tho 20 years from 1886 to 1905 show over tho scale of 1881-1885 amounts in the aggregate to nearly £66,000,000, or an average of £3,295,000 per annum.

North Island. Grain crops, and other crops. Gnus. Actea. Acres. Acres. 1885 . 41,666 62,038 2 755 257 1390 .. 30,519 100,87!) 3,623,6-34 1S95 . 46,345 133,718 5,063,120 1300 .. 81,833 , 191.H0 6 6°6 60D !905 .. 62.077 203,800 7,630,337 South Island. 1865 .. 619,871 405,618 2 503 577 1SD0 .. 735,936 105,613 2,901,365 1895 511,831 463,968 3,761,597 1900 .. 660,832 605,653 4,226,693 1905 699,849 62S.306 4,673,152

North Island. 1835 . 4.925,253 1330 .. 6,588,346 LS95 . 8,994,G4G 1900 .. 9.998,173 1905 .. 9,388,605 South Island. 9,621,548 9,517,7G~ 10,831,958 9,357.022 9.742,270 TotaJ. U,54G,801 16,116,113 19,826,60-1 19,355,195 19,130,875