LAND IN USE.

Waikato Times, Volume 113, Issue 18874, 18 February 1933, Page 19 (Supplement)

LAND IN USE.

SURVEY OF DOMINION. AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL.

TOTAL AREA DECLINES'

Much statistical Information of a valuable and informative nature is given In a report just issued by the Census and Statistical Office on agricultural and pastoral production in New Zealand for the 1931-32 season. Comparative figures are given showing the areas occupied, the number and purpose of holdings, areas and yields of field crops, and livestock totals, as well as detailed tables fqr the various land districts. From 1910 until 1930 the agricultural and pastoral statistics were collected annually through the police organisation, the system in operation requiring officers in charge of police stations to obtain all necessary particulars by a personal canvass of occupiers of holdings of one acre or more located outside boroughs. In 1931 it was decided, for reasons of economy, To dispense with the assistance of' the police organisation and so avoid the travelling expenses incidental to the personal canvass system. Instead the statistics were obtained on forms distributed through the post by the Census and Statistics Office. Although a considerable saving was effected in this way various circumstances combined to create difficulties and delays in completing the work of compilation. Postal and Personal Canvass. The system adopted for ihe 1932 collection represents a combination of botli the postal and personal canvass systems. The services of the police organisation were requisitioned to this end, it being realised that the local knowledge or the police officers in reference to changes in occupancy and the such like, as well as their proximity to occupiers within their respective districts, was a valuable asset In securing returns with reasonable despatch. This method of collection Is stated by (he Statistics Office to have proved quite satisfactory as regards both expedition and economical working. ' There are 12 land districts in the Dominion, and their total area is given at 66,390,262 acres. The number of holdings at January 31, 1932, totalled 82,968, as against 83,816 on the corresponding day of the previous year. The area occupied totalled 42,728,749 acres, as compared ’ with 43,239,53.) acres the year before. The classification of holdings is as follows: — 1930-31. 1931-32 Dairy farms 36,311 38,305 Sheep and cattle grazing rartns 17,305 15,801 Mixed, agricultural and grazing farms 4,054 4,411 Mixed dairying & grazing farms 0,600 7,l?o Oencral mixed farms .. 3,008 4,027 Orchards 1.57 S 1,33 1 Market gardens 900 1.070 Poultry farms 400 217 Nurseries 95 7 2 Timber growing 110 123 Flax growing 02 11 Other and unspociner . 8,431 6,982 Idle and unused 4,200 3,000 ; Virgin ands In Pasture. Less new country was brought info 1 cultivation and virgin land put down in pasture during the 1931-32 season totalled 95,624 acres, as compared with 129,532 acres In the 1930-3 1 season. The area of grassland topdressed with artificial manures during the year ended January 31, 1932, totalled 2,067,67 acres, as against 2.432,438 acres In the corresponding , period of the preceding season. The , area top-dressed with lime totalled . 386,649 acres, as against 438,87 S the ! previous year. "With a Dominion total of 4,072,383 hpnr], cattle are fewer by 8142 head. Fo far as dairying cattle were con- - cerned there was an increase, dairy rows and heifers two years o|q and ( over in milk during Ihe year totalling ! , J. 582,661 head, as against 1,499,532 j i head. Pigs showed an increase from I - 4 76.19 1 to 513,416. Horses at. 280,994 head showed a decrease of j 1 4,749. Unlmprovod Areas. The unimproved Decupled land at ' the end of (be 1931-32 season i

amounted to 23,879,148 acres—a decrease of 353,559 acres on the figures for the preceding season. The freehold land occupied by the owner totalled 20,441,823 acres, and land held under some form of lease amounted to 22,286,926, making the total area occupied 42,728,749. The average area per holding occupied was 515.00 acres. In the Wellington land district the total area occupied was 4,857,894 acres, of which 3,446,531 was freehold and 1,411,363 leasehold. The number of holdings in the Wellington district was 10,739 and the average area 452.36 acres. The area under grain and pulse crops in the Wellington land district during the season was 18,349 acres, and the total Dominion area was 700,572 acres. The total area occupied in the Wellington land district was 4,857,894 acres, and of this area 1,277,671 acres was unimproved land.