THE CENSUS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1189, 12 September 1874, Page 8

THE CENSUS.

The preliminary tables of the Census of New Zealand for the year 1874, giving abstraots of certain principal results in relation to the numbers of the population and dwellings, the land and live stock, have been laid before the General Assembly, and we are in receipt of copies from the Government Printer. Owing to the short time that elapsed between tho taking of the Census and the sitting of Parliament, the RegistrarGeneral found it impossible to have ready abstracts of all the particulars of information obtained from the various householders. The tabulation of ages, conditions, occupations, education, health, religion, and birth places of the people are at the present time being proceeded with with the utmost speed consistent with accuracy. Table 1 shows that the total population of the nine Provinces, inclusive of Chinese and half-castes, is 299,385, of which number 170,903 are males, and 128,482 females. The population of the different Provinces is as follows :—: — Auckland, 67,451 ; Taranaki, 5465 ; Wellington, 29,790 ; Hawkes Bay, 9228 ; Marlborough, 6145 ; Nelson, 22,558 ; Westland, 14,860 ; Canterbury, 58,775 ; Otago, 85,113. In Otago the number of males is 50,121, females 34, 992, the difference in favour of males being 15,199, while in the whole of New Zealand there are 42,421 more men than women. The number of Chinese in the Colony is 4815, and this number only includes one female. Of the Chinese population of tho Colony 3563 are in Otago. The total number of half-castes in New Zealand is 1860, and of this number 931 are males and 929 females. The largest number of half-caste 3is in Auckland, Otago coming next. There are 59,355 inhabited houses and huts in the C010ny— 3967 uninhabited, and 535 in course of erection ; while the number of tents and dwellings with canvas roofs iB 1967. The number of houses and huts in Otago ia 16,212 inhabited, 997 uninhabited, 178 building, and 808 tent 3 and dwellings with canvas roofa. Out of 1898 brick and stone houses in the nine Provinces, 1111 of the number are in Otago. Table No. 2 gives the population of the several Electoral Districts of New Zealand, the City of Dunedin being the largest with 18,400 ; then the Thames with 12,239, then City of Wellington with 10,547, then Christchurch City West 'with 9194, then Auckland City West with 8688. In the City of Dunedin the population is divided as follows :— Males, 9,529 ; females, 8970. In Dunedin the number of inhabited houses or huts is 3444 ; number uninhabited, 118 ; and the number in course of erection, 61. There are 293 houses of brick and stone in Dunedin, and 3138 of wood and iron ; the number of those built of other materials than the3e being very small. In the City of Wellington there were only 7 houses of brick and stone, while the number of wood and iron is 1819. Tables 3, 4, and 5 give other information with reference to the distribution of the population, and the number of persons on shipbjard in the different ports of the Colony on the night of March Ist, 1874. Table 6 shows the extent of holdings, the number of acres fenced, the quantity of land broken up but not under crop, and the respective number of acres under each description of crop, exclusive of the land and cultivations of the aboriginal Natives. From this table it appears that the extent of holdings in the Colony is as follows : — Freehold, 7,029, 354£ acres; leasehold, including Crown land rented for other than pastoral purposes, 3,070,6724 acres ; Crown land rented for pastoral purposes only, 14,192,553 acres. The number of acres of land fenced, not including inoveahle fencing of wire or other material, is 3,019,932 acres; and fenced with wire or other moveable fencing. 5,457,014 acres. The total area of land broken up but not under crop is 173,110-i acres, and the area under crop 1,547,277^ acre 3. The land under crop is divided as follows : — Tn wheat, 110,736J acres ; in oats, 108.485J acres ; in barley, 19,783^ acres ; in maize or sorghum, 1253^ acres ; "in rye or bere, 23572 acres ; in sown grasses permanently laid down, 1,107,115% acres; in sown grasses not intended tobe permanent, 140, 828 $ acres ; in hay, mown or unmown, in either or both of the two previous numbers, 44,211 acres ; in peas or beans, 26 12£ acres ; in potatoes, 12,818 acres ; in turnip or rape, 24,445 acres; in mangold, beet, carrot, parsnip, or onion, 1793Jacre8.; in garden or orchard, 12,791j acres ; in tobacco, 49§ acres ; in any other crops not previously mentioned, 2177 ; in plantations of forest trees, 3650| acres. The largest area of freehold land is in Otago — 1,686,8763 acres ; Auckland beins; n xt with 1,025,458£ acres, and Wellington third with 1,000,552^ acres. The largest area of leasehold, exclusive of land rented from the Crown for pastoral purposes only, ia in Auckland — 749,399^ acres, Ofiago coming next with 651,639$ acres, and then Hawkers Bay, with 580, 605^ acres. The larg-st are* of Crown land rented for pastoral purposes only is in the Province of Otago, the number of acres being 7,363,377, Canterbury being next with 4,804,527 acres, and then Marlborough with 1,038,050 acres. There is move land broken up but not under crop in Canterbury than in any of the eight otr er Provinces, the number of acres being 86,502 ; Otago beiug second, with 40.774$ aores ; and then Auckland, with 16,426.i aores Canterbury has also the largest area of land under crop, the number of acres being 491,239$ aoro3 ; Otago being next, with 3()'3,608| acres ; and then Wellington, with £j5,414;j noi'Os, Canterbury ia the largest wheat-growing Province, nnd < 'tago the so '.ond largest Oca.g<">, Invvever, lua over twice the number of iicres of any other ProViuca under oats. This Province a!s > grows the most barley, and the least maize or sorghum. The table from which we are quoting chows that in Otago there are 49,024^ acres of land upon which wheat is grown, 64,518£ ia oata, 00392 in barley, 6jf in maize or sorghum, 328.V in rye or bere, 204,514'} in grasses permanently laid down, 16,860 if in oown grasses not intended to be permanent, 10,8-49$ ia hay, mown or Unnjovt'n, included in one or other of the two previous columns, 1014 in peas aad beans, Hoil in potatoes, 11,305^ in turnip or rape, SOOi ia mangolds, beet, carrots, parsnips, or onions, 2861 If in garden or orchard, 4 in tobacco, gQ9| many otkey prop nofc previously

mentioned, and 436£ in plantations of forest trees. Forest tree planting receives most attention in Canterbury, where there are 2009 acres of plantations. Table 7 gives information with reference to the land and crops in the various electoral districts, and table 8 shows the number of live stock and poultry, exclusive of the stock and poultry belonging to the aboriginal Natives, with the annual production of butter and cheese, the number and description of agricultural machines, and the quantity of grain and flour on hand. The total number of the live stock of all descriptions in the nine Provinces is 12,407,156, and this number is divided as follows -.—Horses, 99,261 ; brood mares included in the previousnumber, 18,690; mules and asses, 267; cattle, including calves, 494,113; breeding cows, included in the foregoing number, 142,143; sheep, including lambs, 11,694,863 ; breeding ewes, included in the foregoing number, 4,352,968; goats, 14,226 ; pigs, 123,741 ; other stock, 658. Thetotalnumberof poultry of all descriptions, is 1,057,220. The annual production of butter in the Colony is 4,861,159 lbs., and of cheese, 1,964,809 lbs. There are 201 steam-power threshing machines in the Colony, 61 water power, and 508 horse-power ; and there are also 2744 reaping machines, 18 steam ploughs, and 11 steam harrows. The quantity of wheat on hand on the Ist of March last was 1,028,543 bushels ; oats, 878,899 bushels ; barley, 191,345 bushels ; and flour, 2738 tons. Otago has the largest number of live stock, the number being 4,518,439, Canterbury being next with 3,474,518, The number of cattle in Otago is 136,921, aud sheep 4, 326, 988. Otago has also the largest number ef poultry, the number being 263,209. Otago produces the most butter, the annual quantity being 1,200,403 ; Canterbury next, with 1,153,307 lbs. ; and then Auckland, with 1,020,762 lbs. Canterbury produces the most cheese, the annual quantity being 1,375,381 lbs. ; Otago being next, with 214,102 lbs. ; and then Auckland, with 211,179 lbs. Table 9 gives the number of live stock in the several electoral districts.