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(ii) Carrying-capacity' By 1883, 2,250,000 acres had been ploughed and sown in grasses, while a further 2,500,000 acres had been surface sown. By 1913 these figures had risen to 5,000,000 and 9,250,000 respectively. The following figures show the change that has taken place :

The position in 1920 and 1945 was as follows :

The intensive nature of the North Island development and the increase in carrying-capacity since 1920 is shown in the following table :

Number of Live-stock per Acre of Grassland (Sown Grass, Native Grass, and Tussock)

— Primitive. Present. Acres. Acres. Forest and scrub land 41,000,000 23,000,000 Exotic plantations 800,000 Tussocky grassland 17,000,000 14,000,000 Open subalpine vegetation 900,000 900,000 Alpine vegetation and bare rock 6,000,000 6,000,000 Coastal dune vegetation 300,000 150,000 Sown grassland .. .. . . " 18,000,000 Cultivated land, orchards, &c. 1,500,000 Lakes and rivers 800,000 800,000 Boroughs, roads, railways, &c. 850,000 66,000,000 66,000,000

North Island. South Island. Total. 1920. 1945. 1920. 1945. 1920. 1945. Pastures and Crops (Millions of Acres) — Sown grass Annual crops Native grass and tussock .. Total Live-stock (in Millions) — Cows in milk Total cattle Sheep shorn 110 0-3 1-5 12-3 0-25 1*25 50 0-7 13-3 5-25 0*75 130 16-0 1-0 15-0 17-5 10 140 12-8 13-8 19-0 190 32-0 32-5 0-5 2-5 13-0 1-5 4-0 18-0 0-25 0-5 10-0 0-25 0-5 12-5 0-75 3-0 23-0 1-7 4-5 30-5

Live-stock. North Island. South Island. New Zealand. 1920. 1925. Percentage Increase. 1920. 1945. Percentage Increase. 1920. 1945. Percentage Increase. Cows in milk 0-04 0-11 175 0-01 001 Nil 0-02 0-05 150 Total cattle 0-19 0-30 58 0-03 0-03 Nil 0-09 0-11 22 Sheep shorn 1-00 1-33 33 0-53 0-66 24 0-72 0-44 31