THE GRAIN YIELD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13960, 20 July 1907, Page 13

THE GRAIN YIELD

(By O. C.)

The corrected figures of the colony's grain yield just issued by tho Department of Agriculture, showing the returns per aero of our cereal crops for tho harvest just closed, furnish very gratifying reading. Tliey sot forth in cold arithmetic the marvellous persistence of our prosperity that places us in iho forefront Amongst the British- dominions as a producing country, if wo ask oursckos, or if visitors inquire, Whcnoe comes this steady growth amongst all classes in Now Zealand? the only answer tfcat can honestly bo givon must be: "Lode into Iho agricultural statistics periodically furnished) by Mi' Yon Dadels--7.011, and there you can. trace the fons ct origo of out- over-growing wealth, and the sure basis of our prosperity. Of course ft great many pages of tho Official Year Book are taken up with <tota.iis of our ■logisbtive achievements, mora particularly with Jaws dealing with labour, land, cdueat'o",, and Customs j and our professional politician will not bo at alt diroosed to regard themselves as small potatoes in the midst of our abundance, but rather as prime factors in I he satisfactory product. In fact, however,'they a-ro but cogs in the wheol of progress, ncocssary, it may be conceded, to keep affairs of State in working order, but not the Dcus ex rnachina, in tho colonial drama that they would sometimes have us think. Theso grain yields just published arc not, phenomenal, although eminently satisfactory. The returns given show that tihe average yield of wheat per aero during the current year v.as 27.18 •bushels, but during the four preceding seasons tho yield has varied from 30.60 ■bushels in 1906 to 33.37 bushels per acre in 1903. Tho harvest of 1902 gave to our fanners an average of 24.76 bushels, but. the : three preceding years returned averages touching 32 bushels per acre, while in 1898 . one yield was the smallest known for j , "aching no higher than •ti.95 bushels per acre. A comparison i t iteu , wheat yields with those that reward the Australian farmer will show the measure of thankfulness to a benign I irovidence that is duo from cultivators of : tne soil in this highly-favoured colony. During tho past nine years, when our average wheat yields have for the most part exceeded 30 bushels por acre, in Victoria ■or the same period the averages have ral, s. . n , ra , 1,29 \ >llsl> els (the drought year) to 14.49 bushels in 1904—tho record year j in Australian wheat fields. In other words, i iiio lowest average yield of wheat ever ciirouiclcd in New Zealand was about- one:ourth greater than tile- phenomenal harvest in the Commonwealth garnered in 1904. To put tho figures oven in a more striking way, " may bo stated that while in tho Aus- ; riilian States, according to Mr Coglilan, tho .cn7 a , g A, yielt ' of w ' lcat between tho years ■j I was bushels per acre, in New •-•'■ aland for, tho corresponding period (he yerago was 28.6 bushels, In other cereals ■ he causes for congratulation arc equally apparent. Tho oat crop for the past season has given a return that averages 31.83 • per acre, as against 35.86 bushels in 1906 and 42.53 bushels in 1905. Here again the fertility of our fields stands out preeminently by comparison with our less favourably-situated l neighbours across the Tasman Sea- During the 10-year period previously quoted the oat crops in the Commonwealth averaged 20 bushels por acre, while our own stood at 36.9 bushels. Barley crops have shown during the past season a slight shrinkage in bulk, the return given being 31.08 bushels per acre, as comprade' with 34.54 in 1906 and 38.26 in 1905. These figures show to the outside world that we are suffering from embarrassment of agricultural riches. We can raise these prolific careal crops with unfailing regularity, but with our mixed system of agriculture, and ever-expanding British markets, we can put our broad and fertile acres to better use. In 1892 we had over 400,000 aorra under wheat, and last year tho area reaped W very Jjjjljj juanj fhgn %t, Xetj

in Soutli Australia a. yield of seven li'ushels is regarded as a financially satisfactory crop. In connection with this very decided doorcase in the area of wheat cultivated it is somewhat curious to read tho remarks made by Sir Joseph Ward in submitting his new tariff proposals. He said that removing the flour duty would practically stop wheat-growing in New Zealand' and leave us entirely dependent on Australian or other supplies. As, however, tho flour duty has been operative for 28 years, and dining tho Inst few years'the area put under wheat has dropped one-half, tho logio of hie contention is, to say the least of it, obscure. This season we have in our garners a surplus wheat crop of 603,264 bushels, after meeting all local wants, which for export purposes can only be looked upon as a negligible quantity, while Victoria last voar. with less than half our yield per acre, had 16,500.000 bushels available for export, and this year will bo shipping an increased quantity, for they put rather more than 2,000,000 aorcs under wheat, and as tile crop averaged a triflo over 11 bushels per acre tho surplus for export will lie close on 22,000,000 bushels. These are big figures compared with our own insignificant coreal production, but aro as a drop in the bucket compared with tho world's wheat production, which, .according fo "Boorbohm's" estimate for 1906, was 437,500,000 quarters, rather more than half of wEich was grown m Europe. On this basis Australasia, contributed 2.28 per cant, of the world's total in their fat season, while in their lean year (1903) the wheat saved was not enough to provide seed for the next- year's crop. Such are the vicissitudes that beset Australian farmers and make New Zealand's unvarying succession of bountiful seasons stand out in bold relief. Even the Canadian wheat average of 20 bushels per acre, and the United States mean return of 14 bushels, suffer by comparison. No doubt tho heavier yields of ccreals obtained in this colony and elsewhere have stimulated the heads of the Commonwealth agricultural departments to experiment with manures and methods of eulture for the purpose of improving wheat yields. There is no doubt abundant room for reform in agricultural processes of all kinds, particularly jn these colonics where so many go upon the land with onlv a rudimcntray acquaintance with rural affairs. In Victoria at tho present time tho Minister of Agriculture is being urged to establish a wheat bureau, tho necessity for which wa6 very strongly urged at the annual Farmers' Conference, The Director of Agriculture (Dr Cherry) is in full sympathy with all l means for disseminating information amongst farmers, but points out that, if t.lioy would only profit by tho experience gained in 23 experimental stations in various parts of tho State tho average wheat yields would bo increased by 50 per cent. Five varieties of wheat, cultivated by tho department averaged 18 bushels, and the l»6t return was 22 bushels. In Dr Cherry's opinion a greater present benefit would acruo to Victorian farmers if they would properly cultivate carefullysolected varieties of wheat. It is tho common complaint of the heads of the Department of Agriculture in this colony that so lew comparatively amongst fchoso living on tho _ land avail themselves of tho skilled advioe placed at. their disposal without cost. There is abundant evidence that a large amount of experimental cultivation is being carried out on the five farms set apart for that purpose. Instructive leaflets on all kinds of rural matters arc distributed broadcast, and instructors in dairying, fruit culture, and beekeeping are ever ready to give personal instruction'whin called on; but inquiries aro fow, and the evidences of improvement in rural industries are mostly wanting. "It is to ho regretted," says the latest report oil technical education, " that there is not more evidence of a definite movement on tho .part of controlling authorities to arrange for the regular instruction in country districts of school children, as well as those who have left school, in subjotcs having a direct hearing on rural pursuits." If there were anything like .commensurate appreciation of the advantages of a sound education in mattors pertaining to the great producing interests of the oountry, instead of there being one Lincoln Agricultural College, capable of taking 40 pupils, thorc would bo many such, with much greater accommodation for soholars,

— There are now 30 million aores of permanent pasture in Kngland, ami the extent of grass land is still increasing.