THE WHEAT AND OATS HARVEST, 1916.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XIII, Issue 3, 20 September 1916, Page 254

THE WHEAT AND OATS HARVEST, 1916.

The following information regarding the actual results of the wheat and oats harvest of the 1915-16 season has been issued by the Government Statistician : wheat. ' • • From returns secured from farmers early in the season it was estimated that an area of 333,233 acres was sown or intended to be sown in wheat for threshing, whereas the actual area harvested (exclusive of a few small returns yet to be received) was 334,139 acres. Of this area 6,122 acres was utilized for chaff, hay, or ensilage, leaving 328,017 acres actually reaped for threshing. The estimated wheat crop of the Dominion as given in the Monthly Abstract of Statistics for February, 1916, was 7,309,020 bushels, but in subsequent Abstracts the estimate was placed at approximately 7,000,000 bushels (owing to reports received as to partial failure of the crop in the southern districts). The total actual yield is now ascertained to be 7,070,814 bushels. The actual average yield per acre for the Dominion is 21-56 bushels, as against the estimated yield of 21-89 bushels. OATS. .... The returns collected from farmers in the early part of the season gave a total of 379,869 acres of oats sown or intended to be sown for threshing; and on the preliminary average yield (33-46 bushels), estimated in January last, the total estimated yield of oats was given as 12,722,733 bushels. From the main collection of the statistics, however, it is apparent that a 1 great portion of the 379,869 acres returned by farmers as intended for threshing was subsequently chaffed, the returns showing that 7,489,749 bushels were threshed from 209,730 acres, the average yield per acre being 35-71 bushels. The total area of oats used for chaff, hay, or ensilage was 424,262 acres. . , : ,

Note.—The above figures are subject to revision on account of a few returns still to come, but these are not likely to materially alter the results shown above.

Wheat (reaped for threshing). Oats (reaped for threshing). ’ Land District. Wheat (reaped for threshing). Oats (reaped for threshing). Area. Yield. Average Yield per Acre. Area. Yield. Average Yield ' per Acre. Acres. Bushels. Bushels. Acres. Bushels. Bushels. Auckland . . 2,5 6 5 58,964 22-99 1,469 28,078 19-11 Hawke's Bay 2,565 1,888 58,964 48,34 O 22-99 25-60 1,469 2,983 28,078 H3,345 ig-II 38-00 Taranaki . . . . 1,386 35,630 25-71 2,079 68,459 32’93 Wellington . . 1,386 12,077 35,630 340,805 25-71 . 28-22 2,079 10,532 68,459 366,646 32’93 34‘8i Totals, North Island 17,916 483,739 27-00 17’063 576,528 33'79 Nelson . . 1,791 39,222 21-90 764 18,870 24-70 Marlborough . . 5,572 I34,4W 2 4 -I2 3,697 48,041 12-99 Westland . . . . 5,572 I34,4W 24-12 3,697 48,041 12-99 Canterbury. . 1 . . 244,767 5,086,053 20-78 73,635 1,937,714 26-32 Otago .. . . 49,214 1,067,635 21-69 45,745 1,810,646 39-58 Southland . . 244,767 49,214 8,757 5,086,053 1,067,635 259,748 21-29-66 73,635 45,745 68,826 1,937,714 1,810,646 3,097,950 26-32 39-58 45-oi. Totals, South Island . . 310,101 ,6,587,075 21-24 - 192,667 6,913,221 35-88 Dominion 328,017 7,070,814 21-56 209,730 ’ 7,489,749 35-71

TABLE SHOWING ACTUAL RESULTS OF THE 1916 HARVEST OF WHEAT AND OATS FOR THRESHING.