DOMINION’S CEREAL CROPS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1020, 10 July 1930, Page 11

DOMINION’S CEREAL CROPS

RETURNS FOR LAST SEASON Interim returns of the principal crops in the 1929-30 season havebeen published by the Government Statistician. The yield of wheat from 237,661 acres was 7,307,4781 bushels, as against 8,832,864 bushels from 255,312 acres the previous season, and 9 541,444 bushels from 260,987 acres in 1927-28, which was the heaviest harvest since of other crops arenas follow, the final A*™ for 1928 be | given in parentheses: —Oats, 3,0-4,868 (3 065 113) bushels: oaten chaff, hay or ensilage, 318,684 (333,220) tons; barlev 739,993 (781,102) bushels; maize, <(<16317 (456 296) bushels; ryegrass, perennial 9^875,315 (8,948,168) lh; western ivolths. 3,039,390 (2,342,050) lb; cocksfoot, 2,010,950 (2,048,832) lb. The production of maize has shown large annual fluctuations; it exceeded 500 000 bushels in 1921 and 1.'23. In the’ following year there was a drop to 406 000 bushels, but annual increases raised the total to 491.000 bushels in 1927. Each of the last three years has shown a reduction, the latest figure, 395.317 bushels, being the lowest since 1918. The bulk of the maize is grown in the Auckland and the Gisborne land districts. Three years ago, they produced 400,000 bushels from 9.380 acres: this year the total is 355,500 bushels from 6,94 b a The area sown in turnips and mangolds was 489,759 acres, as against 489 908 acres in the previous season. The acreage of potatoes increased from 21,304 to 23,427.