c.—i

potato crop is reported to be a good average, but oat crops generally have been very light. The wheatharvest weather was quite good, and the increased use of the header was most marked. Unfortunately the lower country suffered from the dry spring, more particularly as regards provision for haymaking and the closing of areas for grass-seed. Irrigation works in Mid-Canterbury are being pushed ahead, and the dry conditions experienced over the past year have demonstrated the necessity of having an area of irrigated pasture on the light lands of this part of the district.

OTAGO. (W. E. Shaw, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) In addition to heavy snowfalls in the winter, frequent high winds and occasional snowstorms extending right through the summer have been experienced on most of the run country during the year just ended. These climatic conditions have naturally had an effect on the lower country also, so with sheep properties generally it can be said that there has been a diminished wool-clip, a lighter lambing, and a greater death-rate. These difficulties have in most cases been more than offset by higher wool-prices and better prices for lambs and fat ewes. North Otago has once again suffered from drought conditions, the rape and turnips being especially affected. With regard to the latter crop, the diamond-back moth appears to be so firmly established that it is almost impossible, particularly in a dry season, to obtain a satisfactory yield. Grain crops have once again, with the exception of some of the lighter lands, given good yields, particularly autumn-sown wheat in North Otago. The unsettled weather slightly affected the grass-seed harvest in South Otago, but in Central Otago the results of the growing of fine seeds such as clovers have been satisfactory to the few that have engaged therein. The fruit-farmers in Central Otago have had a fairly good season. Yields have been heavy in nearly all cases, and good prices were obtained over a fair period.

SOUTHLAND. (T. Cagney, Commissioner of Crown Lands.) Although at the commencement of the period under review a favourable autumn and winter were experienced, the spring was ushered in with one of the severest snowstorms experienced in Southland for many years, resulting in heavy losses of stock, particularly on high-country holdings. For the remainder of the period the weather was generally variable and disappointing to farmers, particularly towards the close of the period, when wet, cold conditions prevailed. The effect is apparent in a material reduction in the usual output of butter and cheese factories, and to a lesser extent in most lines of farming production. Notwithstanding, however, the climatic conditions prevailing, wheat and oat crops have harvested remarkably well and reach the markets in good milling condition. No doubt drying winds at a critical stage of growth have assisted in this respect. Lambs, owing to the softness of pastures, were slow to fatten, and the usual percentage fattened off the mothers showed a marked decrease, with the result that turnips and green crops, which ordinarily would have been conserved for feed later in the season, had to be encroached on to some extent. Seed crops, with the exception of fescue, were poor, and early germination tests for samples of rye-grass are disappointing.

Table 1. —Return showing (approximately) Position of Lands in the Dominion at 31st March, 1940.

28

Total Area Land unfit for ; Total Arm) Total Area ' o( Cro*™ Lands Total Area of Settlement sold or arantfld reserved for leased undor Crown Lands Total Area (including Total Area District. 1 90 '^ a 0r h |™™ d ro9 S,, lor all Tenures available for of Area occupied in Land Freehold Piirnosm (exclusive of Future Native Land.* by Rivers, District, ircenoio. purposes. Reserves leased Disposal. Lakes, lloads, by Crown). &c.). Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. Acres. North Auckland . 2,651,277 463,745 491,634 139,396 514,720 217,428 4,478,200 Auckland .. .. 2,849,194 1,281,860 767,951 555,462 1,632,111 1,133,995 8,220,573 Gisborne .. .. 1,152,102 486,979 509,154 277,986 834,739 254,966 3,515,926 Hawke'sBay.. .. 1,585,052 202,520 494,238 48,416 371,222 216,438 2,917,886 Taranaki .. .. 1,131,304 352,506 575,823 91,464 165,706 87,628 2,404,431 Wellington f .. .. 3,553,692 1,066,181 754,647 140,977 786,024 749,548 7,051,069 Nelson .. .. 666,290 2,522,148 604,194 232,524 30,051 659,793 4,715,000 Marlborough .. .. 783,002 348,627 1,309,818 195,979 22,292 108,282 2,768,000 Westland .. .. 175,382 2,168,566 560,872 477,205 12,281 469,072 3,863,378 Canterbury .. .. 3,563,164 1,569,326 3,816,766 66,469 15,089 447,966 J9,478,780 Otago .. .. 1,980,553 932,514 5,442,552 15,074 25,000 612,084 9,007,777 Southland .. .. 1,863,760 4,442,496 1,369,445 37,693 126,776 129,356 7,969,526 Totals .. 21,954,772 15,837,468 16,697,094 2,278,645 4,536,011 5,086,556 66,390,546 * Includes certain areas alienated by sale to Europeans. f Includes Chatham Islands. J Increase of 350 acres revealed by resurvey.