Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1886. Agricultural Products.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XIX, Issue 1863, 28 July 1886, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1886. Agricultural Products.

In the report on the Crown Lands Department laid before Parliament, there is some interesting information with respect to agriculture and the products of the soil ia this colony. It has been one of the aims of the department for several years to further sac. cessful settlement of the country by disseminating information bearing on rural economy both in respect of increasing the number of products from the soil and the better management of those already more commonly pro. duced. This has hitherto been done principally by engaging experts to lecture and write on particular subjects, such as dairy management, silk, olive and orange culture. This method is still pursued in the employment of Mr Thos. Mackay on the preparation of a work on grasses, and Mr G. A. Schock, of Auckland, in farthering silk culture. An investigation was lately made by the department for the year 1881 and 1885 with respect to the imports and exports of alimentary substances, with the view more particularly of showing [what articles are being imported that might, or indeed should, be produced in the colony, such as green traits, jams, tinned fruits, and olive and linseed oils, also fish, bacon, hams, cheese', flour, honey, biscuits, confectionery and other articles. This information was desired in order to ascertain in what direction efforts should be made towards making the colony self supporting in green fruits and Other articles which it can so well produce. It was further desired to learn in what articles the colony had been more than self supporting, such as wheat, oats, barley, potatoes and dairy produce. The result of the investigation shows that the agriculture of New Zealand is very much dependent on the Australian Colonies for a market. Thus in 1885 the export of agricultural produce including horses, was valued at L 766,580 ; while the imports were L 119,558, or a balance in favor of New Zealand of L 647.022. Oats is much the largest article of export to the Australian colonies, the value being L247,030r Of this, Victoria took L 71,577, notwithstanding the heavy import duty of that colony. Batter comes next in value, being L 102.387; of this, New South Wales took L 88.812. With the exception of the United Kingdom, New South Wales is much the best market, the export to it being of a total value of L 512.812 for the year 1885. The imports to New Zealand bring out very clearly the lines on which the colony should seek to be selfsupporting, Thus, New Zealand imported -

In 1884 In 1885. Candles, value of £74,959 £71,673 Fish, value of .. 51,086 .. 85,173 Fresh Fruits, value of 68,189 .. 81,977 Preserved milk, value of 12,833 .. 15,425 Jams, value of .. 10,552 .. 11,354 Seeds, principally grasses and clovers, value of 70,993 .. 91,915 Totals .. £288,602 ..£307,517 Of these six articles, all of which, with the exception of preserved milk, are produced to a considerable extent in the colony, there is still a large market within New Zealand lor the local producer to undertake. The most gratifying feature in the return of exports is the very marked and rapid development in the export of frozen mutton and dairy produce. It was only in February, 1883, that the first shipment of frozen mutton left Port Chalmers, in the ship “ Dunedin,” for London, and the amount of export since is as follows Cwt. £ 1882 .. .. 15,244, valued at 19,339 1882 .. .. 87,975, valued at 1 1 8,328 1884 .. .. 254,069, valued at 315,090 1885 .. .. 296,473, valued at 373,857

In the export of butter and cheese there has been a great expansion since 1882. In that year the value of butter exported was £52,088 ; in 1885, £102,387 ; and of cheese, £10,130 and £35,742 for these years respectively. The frozen meat trade is the backbone of the direct steam service ; without it a large subsidy would have to be paid, or the service would collapse. The future of this trade is well assured ; for, although there have been and still are difficulties in the way, the broad facts remain that the millions in the British Isles have to be fed, and must rely largely ou other countries for meat supply. New Zealand in climate and soil has advantages for the production of animal food which no other country can outrival. The refrigerating process enables that to be placed on the market in carcase, the most acceptable form to the consumer. Therefore the colony may look forward with confidence to this outlet for that class of produce. With the dairy industry it is different, for, necessarily, it is a manual industry engaged iu by settlers who farm their eighty or two hundred acres, and who, comparatively speaking, have in many cases very little cnancc of knowing what improvements are being made in other places Many of these, in t 1 eir out-turn of butter and cheese do credit to tin-i; training in the Mother country ; but a great number, from uo train,, mg, or bad training, or want of appliances, produce an inferior article, which may be bartered in the district, but never could be marketed elsewhere. An extension of the butter and cheese factory system is therefore strongly advocated, and an opinion is expressed that small farmers should, in a great measure, rely npou the dairy produce in the future as a means of making a living and making a competence.