CoLENSO. — Botany of the North Island of New Zealand. 281 



by its former large exjDorts o£ the same after providing a sufficiency for its 

 own people, still it woiikl scarcely be proper to close tbis essay Avitbout some 

 reference to sucb productions. It is greatly to be lamented tbat, with the 

 exception of potatoes, there bas been no export of agricultural produce for 

 tbe last three years ; owing in part to the war, and to the very great increase 

 of consumers with less producers. Por several years, however, before the 

 present war commenced, the export of Cerealia from this island had been 

 steadily decreasing annually^ as the following statement, compiled from 

 official papers, will show : — 



Value in Money of Gteain (Wheat, Baelet, Oats, Maize, and Flour) 

 and of Potatoes exported annually from the Provinces of the North 

 Island of ISTew Zealand, for the ten years ending 1862. 



Yeae 



Auckland. 





Taeanaki. 



Wellington 

 AND Hawke Bat. 





Grain, &c. 



Potatoes. 



Grain, &c. 



Potatoes. 



Grain, &c. 



Potatoes. 





£ g. 



d. 



& s. 



d. 



£ s. 



d. 



£ 3. d. 



£ s. d. 



£ s. d. 



1853 



13,495 







18,489 15 







3,456 10 







3,078 



1,175 1 9 



3,667 6 



1854 



37,539 3 



8 



35,355 10 







5,181 16 



6 



5,076 10 



6,607 11 6 



16,137 13 



1855 



61,194 3 



6 



44,496 10 







3,007 







15,163 19 



5,706 17 



17,686 9 



1856 



13,934 6 







11,133 











1,300 



5,889 



1,319 



1857 



17,884 19 







8,136 







374 







1,583 



2,575 10 



6,552 



1858 



5,859 14 







13,043 







553 3 



6 



4,350 



623 



4,393 



1859 



5,037 







6,568 







535 







2,819 



2,643 



240 



1860 



1,013 







7,563 







61 







278 



1,328 



3,720 



1861 



174 







1,760 













63 



150 



1863 



60 







7,445 















1,943 



Totals... 



141,391 5 



2 



153,888 15 







13,057 9 







33,552 9 



26,516 3 



54,837 2 



The quantity of potatoes exported from Auckland in 1863 was 508 

 tons, value £3,233.* It is believed that this falling of£ is mainly owing 

 (apart from war) to much too little attention being given to tillage ; which 

 noble and necessary occupation is neither followed nor encouraged as it 

 should be. At present this island is greatly too dependent on foreign 

 countries for grain, which is now being brought not only from Australia 

 and Chili, but even from California and England. It is hoped that this 

 growing evil may be clearly and timely discerned and put a stop to, or the 

 consequences resulting therefrom may some day be unexpectedly and 

 highly disastrous to the whole island. 



32. It is also believed that a future generation will derive great advan- 



* No potatoes were exported in 1863 from the other proyinces of the Worth Island. — Ed. 

 36 



