The Southland Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 1870.

Southland Times, Issue 1262, 7 June 1870, Page 2

The Southland Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 1870.

Some two months ago we placed oar readers in possession of the Agricultural Statistics of this province, and since then those of one or two of the other provinces. To afford anything like data upon- which calculations may be made, however, the tables for the whole colony at least would require to be considered, and we are now in a position to supply the information, the entire statistics having just been published. We do not suppose the G-eneral Government to be ignorant of the importance of having information of this sort published as soon after collection as possible, and do not charge it with wilful delay, but it might have been of considerable benefit to the colony had it been published somewhat earlier. . Generally speaking it may be said that at least half of last year's crops have already been disposed of, and a good deal of grain has moßt likely found its way to distant markets which might probably have been aa profitably disposed of nearer home, and saved to the country the unnecessary expense incurred in the extra and superfluous sea voyage. One feature in the returns will probably attract the Southern reader's attention as being at variance with his preconceived ideas of the progress and position of agriculture in the North Island. It will be observed that although the totals given as under cultivation in North and South are about equal, there is a marked difference in the comparison of the different descriptions of crop in each. The South — Canterbury, Qtagb, and Southland — appears to be the great grain-producing district, in spite of drawbacks in climate, in the case of the two latter at least, while the North, with its magnificent climate and unequalled soil, is almost wholly devoted to pasture ; and, indeed, but for the fact that in the North the process of laying down grass is exceedingly primitive and successful, it is doubtful whether even that column would have made a decent appearance. In the North a lucifer and a good breezy night will clear thousands of acres of the finest fern land, and the grass sown upon the burnt surface, and rudely harrowed in — in many instances it is never touched — if at all favored by timely moisture, generally grows luxuriantly, hence the great breadth of permanent pasture in which Auckland and Wellington rejoice. In cereals, however, these favored provinces are far behind. In wheat and barley, even little Marlborough, generally considered the peculiar territory of the runholder, ex- j eels them both. These facts show that the people of the North are notgiriogtheatten-

tion they ought to the subject of agriculture, and that they have become to a considerable extent dependent for their prosperity on other sources than the fertility of their .soil or the industry of their farmers. The large area of land in the Middle Island returned as simply broken up — in the first stage of the process of cultivation — compared with the same class in the North, also shows the determination of the Southern settlors to bring their waste land as speedily as possible into its most productive condition, while^ tiheir Northern contemporaries appear .tp a large degree content to put up with the (comparatively scant returns yielded by their soil in its natural state. We would not quarrel with the provinces north of Cook's Straits for being customers for a large quantity of our surplus produce — the more they require the better for us •—did tbey draw the money with which to purchase it from sources within themselves, but when we remember that the i cash is largely provided by ourselves, through a Government expenditure! almost exclusively confined to the North Island, we scarcely, set sp high a value on ! their trade. We may hope, however, j that now the war may be said to be at an end, the colonists in the North will turn their energy and capital to the development of their mineral and other resources, flax, gum, timber, and semitropical products, and that in future they will be even larger customers than hitherto, without trenching upon our share of the colonial revenue for the wherewith to supply their wants. We find that Canterbury bad last season 52,425 acres of wheat; Otago, 20,958; Nelson, 3,123; Marlborough, 2,724; Wellington, 2,350 ; Auckland, . 1,522 ; Hawke's Bay, 1,079; Taranaki,. 1,Q3 1; and Southland, 1,023 acres. In oats, Otago had 47,578; Canterbury, 41,660 ; Southland, 9,551 ; Nelson, 4,117 ; Wellington, 3,326; Auckland, 2,948; Marlborough, 1,539; Taranaki, 267; and Westland, 83 acres. In barley, Canterbury; stands immensely ahead of the ; other provinces, having had no less than 16,063 acres in that crop; Otago' 'next, with 5,743 ; Marlborough, 2,230; Southland, 2,004 ; Nelson, 1,271 ; Wellipgtpn, 632 ; Hawke's Bay, 373 ; Taranaki, 128 ;, Auckland, 100 ; and*Westland, 2 'acres. Permanent artificial grass is the next column, and Wellington heads the list with 176,580 acres; Auckland, 133,036; Canterbury, 102,366; Otago, 91,557; Hawke's Bay, 48,923 ; Nelson, 34,608 ; Taranaki, 22,437; Southland, 22,180; Marlborough, 16,943 ; and Westland, 634 acres. In potatoes, the returns are —Auckland, 3,795 ; Otago, 2,981 ; Canterbury, 1,942 ; Wellington, 983 ; Nelson, 938 ; Taranaki, 638 ; Southland, 544 ; Hawke'a Bay, 413 ; Marlborough, 255 ; and Westland, 231 acres. In other descriptions of crop, Canterbury had 3,064; Otago, -3,020; Auckland, 1,534-, Southland, 1,371 ; Nelson, 724; Wellington, 402 ; Marlborough, 309 ; Taranaki, 210; Hawke's Bay, 127; and Westland, 80 acres. The total quantity of cultivated land in each province stands thus — Canterbury,- 217,527; Wellington, 184,274; Otago, 171,837; Auckland, 142,935; Hawke's Bay, 51,946; Nelson, 44,784; Southland, 36,675; Taranaki, 24,714; Marlborough, 24,003, and Westland, 1,030 acres. The quantity of land broken up, but not cropped, was as -follows — Canterbury, 31,790 ; Otago; 28,112, Auckland, 12,090 ; Southland, 8,506; Nelson, 6,924; Hawke's Bay, 4,204 ; Wellington, 2,647 ; Marlborough, 1790 ; Taranaki, 810 ; and Westland, 64 acres. The total acreage of wheat in the Colony was 86,237; of which 80,255 acres were in the Middle Island, and only 5,982 in the North Island. Of oats there was altogether 112,101 acres ; 104,529 south, and 7,571 north of Cook's Straits. Of barley, J 27,315 acres were grown Southland! 1,235 North, making 28,550 acres in all: In grass,: the North has the advantage with 380,977 acres, against 268,290 in the South. In potatoes and other crops;, the Middle Island had 15,466 acres, against 8,102 in the North Island. The gross area under crop, including grass, was 899,727 acres, divided thus : — Middle Island, 495,857 acres; North Island, 403,869 acres. Of land broken up, the total stands at 96,941 ; 77,188 acres being in the Middle Island, and L9,752 in the North Island. The total quantity of land in the Colony upon which labor has been expended amounts to 996,668 acres ; 573,045 in the Middle Island, and 423,621 in the North Island.