AGRICULTURAL AND STOCK STATISTICS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3312, 5 September 1917, Page 14

AGRICULTURAL AND STOCK STATISTICS.

Wo quito recently publisliod the loading figures in tho agricultural and stock statistics prepared by Air Malcolm Frascr, the Government Statistician. The figures are valuable in a sense, but the details available are not sufficient to enable a careful comparison being made with those of past years and so permit of an analysis or stock-taking account being taken. These full details are rarely available until interest in them is dwarfed by the interim figures of tho coming harvest. But a rough comparison with the figures of some past years give food for reflection as conveying somo idea of the progress which the Dominion is making. A few comparative figures are given 'below which may prove of interest. The years taken for comparison had no special features. The figures just happened to be convenient, and appeared to go back to tho period when the tendency to give up cropping and go in more Cor sheep and cattle raising was becoming apparent. We may first glance at the comparative figures 01 the production of wheat, oats, and barley, as follows: WHEAT. Dominion of N.Z. Yield. Acres. Bushels 1902-03 194,355 7,457,915 1916-17 329,207 7,108 310 Increase 135,852 Decrease Otago. Canterbury. Yield. Yield. Acres. Bushels. Acres. Bushels. 1902-03 .. 42,688 1,600,188 136,316 5,319,130 1916-17 .. 32,148 907,716 178,545 3,960,182 Increase .. Decrease .. 10,540 632,472 OATS. Whole Dominion. Yield. Acres. Bushels. 1902-03 483,659 21,766 708 1916-17 212,688 7,653,208 Decrease 270,971 14,113,500 Otago. Canterbury. Yield. Yield. Acres. Bushels. Acres. Bushels. 1902-03 .. 230,082 9,841,325 82,507 2,067,451 1916-17 .. 83,496 3,050,196 45,377 1,627,754 Decrease .. 146,586 6,791,129 118,074 7,774,136 BARLEY. Dominion. Otago. Canterbury. Acres. Acres. Acres. 1903-04 .. 34,681 4,969 12,343 1916-17 .. 30,204 6,617 9,013 Decrease .. 4,477 Increase ..

The figures show that, while there was a substantial increase in tho area under wheat last year for the whole Dominion, tho yield was deficient by 349,555 bushels. Apparently no special effort was made in Otago to grow wheat, as the area under that crop decreased in a dozen years by 10,540 acres and the yield by 692,472 bushels. In Canterbury, on the other hand, the area in crop for thrashing increased by 42,229 acres, but the drought proved so disastrous that the yield was less by 1,388,948 bushels —a serious loss to farmers. Growing oats has seemingly gone out of fashion. The area under this crop in the whole Dominion decreased in a dozen years by 270,971 acres, and the yield fell by 14,113,500 bushels. The figures show that the decreases in both area and yield in both Otiigo and Canterbury about account for the total falling off. The figures concerning barley show no great variation. Less land was devoted to this crop in the whole Dominion, but Otago increased the area slightly. The growing of maize in the north for ensilage may be left out of account in this comparison. As less attention was given to agriculture, naturally a large increase in stock might be anticipated. But the figures below require some consideration: SHEEP. Dominion. Otago. Canterbury. 1903-04 .. 20,342,727 3,965,242 4,933,681 1916-17 .. 24,788,150 4,627,625 4.377,407 Decrease .. Increase .. 4,445,423 662,383 It will be noticed above that the number of sheep increased by nearly four and a-half million. Of this increase Otago shows only a little over half a million. Canterbury's poor showing of an increase of only 204,171 in a dozen years is largely accounted for by the drought of the past two years. But. even so, in view of the large numbers of sheep taken into Canterbury of recent years from both _ north and south, there is an uneasy suspicion that that province has been over-killing and over-exporting, tempted by the high prices. The_ following table of the figures for tho Dominion as on April 30, 1903, and April, 30, 1917, shows where the inorcases have taken place: SHEEP. April 30, April 30, 1917. 1902. Increase. Auckland .. 1,792,176 904,681 887.493 Haivke's Bay 5,061 553 4,606,322 455,231 Taranaki .. 983,822 552,833 430.989 "Wellington .. 5,473.850 4,222,510 1,251,340 Nelson .. .. 456,991 279.953 177 038 Marlborough.. 1,017,629 849,168 168.461 Westland .. 62,271 28,231. 34.034 Canterbury .. 4,377,407 4,933,681 *556.274 Otago .. .. 2,911,057 3,965,342 661.753 Southland .. 1,716,568 Total .. 24,788,150 20,342,727 * Decrease. CATTLE. Dominion. Otago. Canterbury. 1903-04 .. 1,593,547 212,932 120,750 1916-17 .. 2,417,491 246,622 146,782 Increase .. 823,944 33,690 26,026 HORSES. Dominion. Otago. Canterbury. 1903-04 .. 298,714 69,051 53.220 1916-17 .. 871,331 72,849 69,348 Increase .. 72,517 13,798 16,128 PIGS. Lominion. Otago. Canterbury. 1903-04 .. 226,951 24,618 43,513 1915-16 .. 297,501 22,805 36,339 Increase .. 70,910 Docroase .. The increase of 823,944- head of cattle in the Dominion is satisfactory, and is due no doubt largely to the development of tho dairying industry in the north. Although that industry, like the frozen meat

industry, started in the south, it has not advanced by leaps and bounds as in the north. As the figures for Southland were included with those for Otago in 1903, it is impossible to say whether the increase of 33.690 wh ; ch has taken place in Otago has been mainly in Southland, where dairying has taken a much firmer hold than in tlu- old provincial district of Otago. The increases in the number of horses is somewhat surprising when it is remembered that large numbers have been sent away for army purposes, and, further, that the roadster and trap and coach horses havo been superseded by the motor. It is satisfactory to find that there is a fairly substantial increase in the number of pgs in the Dominion; but the falling off _ in_ Otago ;ind Southland would seem to indicate that our farmers have no longer to depend upon " the gintilman that pays the nnt." He pays well; but then he is only a side-line and not considered to bo worth troubling with. The figures concerning turnips and mangolds indicate that more attention is now paid to the production of winter feed for stock. Those concerning potatoes and grasses call for no comment, as the details concerning the total areas in grass are not available. POTATOES. Dominion. Otago. Canterbury. Acres. Acres. Acres. 1903-04 .. 31,408 5,600 9,408 1916-17 .. 29.509 5,102 11,579 Increase .. Decrease .. 1,599 498 TURNIPS. Dominion. Otago. Canterbury; Acres. Acres. Acres. 1903-01 .. 408,659 185,387 139,141 1916-17 .. 572,138 234,999 122,219 Increase .. 163 479 49,612 Decrease .. MANGOLDS. Dominion. Otago. Canterbury. Acres. Acres. Acres. 1903-04 .. 7.808 961 3,664 1916-17 .. 13,046 1,493 1,466 Increase .. 5,238 532 Decrease .. RYEGRASS. Dominion. Otago. Canterbury. Acres. Acres. Acres. 1903-04 .. 27,881 15,516 4,827 1916-17 .. 43,095 21,372 48,061 Increase .. 15,214 5 856 43,234 COCKSFOOT. Dominion. Otago. Canterbury. Acres. Acres. Acres. 1903-04 .. 27,884 178 23,163 1916-17 .. 13,293 564 11,579 Incroa-se .. Decrease .. 14,591 H. 584