Agricultural Statistics,

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4907, 24 March 1894, Page 7

Agricultural Statistics,

♦ (Lvttclton Times.) The moat satisfactory feature about the agricultural statistics for North Canterbury ia the proof they afford of the steady growth ia the number of cultivated holdings. Last year the total holdings in the district were returned as 6192, this year they havo increased to 6461, and the area under cultivation has extended during the same period by 93,706 acres. This certainly does not bear out the cry that the springe, of our great agricultural industry are being dried up by the policy ot* the party in power. Indeed, even the supporters o£ that policy will be surprised to find that it has done so much to maintain the hope and stimulate the enterprise of the farming community. Its opponents, who never weary of quoting statistics against the present' Q-overn-insnt, may be equally surprised 'to? learn that during the last clear year of the Conservative administration, from 1888 to 1889, the holdings increased by only 140, and the cultivated area actually decreased by. 43,290 acres. Comment is unnecessary ; the figures speak for themselves. This year the area under wheat has decreased by some 64,000 acres ; but if we were inclined to trust the farmers' own estimates we should conclude that the average yield is about equal to that of laat year. We fear, however, that the threshing machines have already ! shown that the growers' anticipations ' were altogether too Banguine. Oats j show an improvement both in acreage and yield, and barley is just about an average crop. Peas and beans are in larger quantities, and although I turnips and rape show a decrease of some 2000 acres, the deficiency is I almost made up by the increase in j mangolds and other root crops. The ] substantial increase in the area under j garden and orchard is another indication of returning confidence, and while the , hay, crop ia about the same' as thai; of 1893, we. have clear evidence that, the prominence given by the agricultural journals to the preparation \>f ensilage is at last bearing fruit. The number of silos haa increased from 15 to 73. The grass land has extended in sympathy with the increased attention given to pastoral pursuits, and now reaches 1,318,820 acres; but the tale of a disastrous cocksfoot harvest is concisely told by the statement of a falling-off of more than 100,000 bushels. The quantity of grain remaining in the hands of farmers is, we are glad to see, much smaller than the total of last year, but we are a little disappointed to find that thenumber of milch cows has increased by only 427. We expected to find much clearer indication of the growth of the dairy industry. But, taken as a whole, the statistics are not discouraging. They show that tlie farmers have persevered with extraordinary resolution, under most dispiriting circumstances. We can only hope that they are approaching the better times when improved prices will give them a more adequate return for their labour.