AGRICULTURE IN AUCKLAND.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 622, 20 May 1870, Page 2

AGRICULTURE IN AUCKLAND.

{From the Southern Cross, May 6). We publish to-day the agricultural statistics for Auckland province, compiled by authority of an Act of the General Assembly. Nelson is the only; other province for which we have not already seen the statistics of agriculture ; but, like Auckland, ie is not a corn growing province, the pastoral interest being paramount in Nelson. For all practical purposes, however, these statistics are too late. To be of use to the merchants in the regulation of imports, the statistics of produce of this colony should be published not later than December in each year ; and we see no real difficulty why this should not be done. However, it is too much to expect a perfect system to be established at the outset, and we can only express the hope that the returns for 1870 will be in circulation at least four months earlier than those for the past year. It was the 20th of May, 1869, before the Registrar-General was in a position to issue the statistic* of agriculture for 1868 ; and we dare say it will be at least that period of 1870 before the statistics for 1869 are issued. Leaving this point, however, and coming to the return before us, there is some reason to congratulate the province on the progress made in 1869. Comparing the statistics for 1869 with those for 1868,. there is. a. marked advance in one particular to note. This w iN be more apparent if we contrast 'he totals for the two past years: Thus :— Acres under crop, 1868 ... ... 122,394 „ „ 1869 ... ... 155,025 The total increase, therefore, is 32,631 acres, or at the rate of 23 per cent. Following put this comparison, we find the same rate of progress indicative of the operations for the present year. Thus:— Acres. Land broken up, but not in crop ... .;. ... 1868 9572 ; , „ 1869 12,090 Increas3 over 1868, 2518 acres. This is so far satisfactory. But when we come to analyse the return a little more closely, it -will be found that the progress has been almost entirely in one direction. Whilst the breadth of land laid down in permanent grasses has largely iacreased, the cultivation of breadstuff* has fallen off. This will be evident from the following figures :—

In the foregoing sta ment the acres enumerated under hay are included in the first line, showing the iotal quantity of land in sown grasses. Comparing the produce of breadstuff i last harvest with that of the preceding year, we arrive at the following result : —

Now, it can hardly be maintained by the most ardent supporters of the rural code of tliia province, that it has tended to encourage practical agriculture. Although we had, in 1869.32,631 aces of land in crop in excess of the breadth under cultivation in 1868, still we produced less wheat, by 9889 bushels, in 1569 ; the falling off in oats was 8106 bushels , and in barley, 532 bushels. This is hardly satisfactory. Brew ing has become a thriving local industry in Auckland, and it surely says little £.r our country

settlers when they are unable to keep the brewers of the province supplied, la Otsgo, barley is looked upon as the most, profitable crop to grow, and consequently the breadth of land laid down with , barley increases yearly. Otago looks forward to supplying Australia with barley for malting purposes. In addition to the requirements of the local brewers, we shall sooh have a distillery added, and it will be evident that this manufacture must compete at a disadvantage with the Dunedin distillery, inasmuch as the malt and grain must be imported by the Auclclaud^istiller^wherfiaftdthe Otago distillery is supplied ,with homegrown grain. : Looking at the return in another light, wo find that Auckland falls far short of producing the quantity of breadstuff s . required by its population for home consumption, and must therefore send elsewhere for supplies. Taking the population at 5.0,000, and estimating the consumption at 7 bushels per head, which is a liberal allowance, the province would require 350,000 bushels of wheat during the current year. Of that, 25,779 bushels have been grown in the province, leaving 324,221 bushels* to/be imported. This means a large sum of money, which we cannot help thinking might very well be spent on home produce rather than be sent abroad. Canterbury has grown a surplus of one million bushels of wheat, and is. practically supplying the Auckland market at 4s 6d per bushel, being 6d per bushel under the quotations for Auckland wheat, and 2s per bushel under Adelaide wheat. The price, therefore, at which Canterbury farmers can sell their wheat in Auckland, give 3 them the command of the market. Now, assuming that Auckland obtains her supplies entirely from Canterbury, and that the cost does not exceed 4s 6d per bushel, we have this fact staring us in the face, that a sum of 472,149 14s 6d will be sent out of the province to the south to pay for wheat during, the present year. If, as we contend it is the case, the Fencing Ordinance acts as a hindrance, .to tillage farming in ' Auckland, the annual loss in money which it entails on the community is enormous. At all events; so long as a new country like this, without manufactures or an extensive commerce, fails to grow corn su'fflcicnt to feed its own population, so long must it remain a poor, struggling Community. We may be told that the opening of the goldfleld, and the preparation of flai, have had something to do with the state of things of which we complain. But our reply to that objection, if it be raised, is . simply this, that the return before us does not disclose any exceptional state of things. It discloses the normal condition of the province ; and so far from the goldfleld and preparation of flax tending to lessen the: area of cultivation, these should rather have had the opposite tendency, owing to the large and certain local demand thereby created. On the whole, therefore, whilst, we congratulate the province on having reclaimed 3^,631 acres from the waste during the past year, we. cannot congratulate it on having made real and substantial progress in the cultivation of its agricultural lands.

1868. • 1869. Wheat (bushels) ... 35,668 ... 25,779 Oats „ ... 31,180 ... 23,074 Barley „ ... 2,829 ... 2,297 Potatoes (tons) ...13,084 ... 19,663

1868. 1869. Acres. Acres. Sown grasses ... 113,494 ... 133,036 Wheat ... .v. 2,321 ... .1,622 Oats ... ... 1,797 ... 1,397 Oaten hay — ... 1,551 Barley ... ... 13* ... 100 Hay ... ... 3,972 ... 4,405 Potatoes 3,278 ... 3,795 Other crops 1,370 ... 1,534