STATISTICAL EEVIEW — NEW SOUTH WALES. Ill 



3. That the average acreage under " all other crops "* has 

 increased by 30,124 acres, or 24 per cent. 



4. And that the total acreage under cultivation has increased 

 in the last five years by 83,499 acres, equal to 24 per cent. I am 

 not quite sure whether this rate of progress will satisfy the 

 ardent aspirations of those who looked by means of a liberal 

 Land policy to attract industry to the soil ; but I cannot think 

 they ought to be discouraged in the face of the results elicited 

 by the late Census, and just brought under your notice, namely, 

 that the total increase of the population in the ten years has only 

 been 43 per cent. But I will follov,^ up this inquiry a little 

 furtlier with the view of showing that, exclusive of the Pastoral 

 tenants, the number of occupiers of land has increased from 

 19,361 in 1864 (the first year in which the statistics were 

 collected) to 29,174 in 1872 — rather over 50 per cent. Com- 

 paring this with the rate of increase of the population, it must be 

 admitted that the occupation of the land has commanded a fair 

 share of attention. But before I leave the subject of agriculture 

 for other industries waiting our attention, I must proceed to 

 notice shortly the results of the wheat tillage. Pursuing the com- 

 parison in the same way that I have treated the extent of land 

 under crop, I find that the average yield of the quinquennial 

 period was 1,270,044 bushels, or barely 10 bushels to the acre ; 

 at 8s. per bushel in Sydney (which the statistics tell us was the 

 average pi-ice during that period) we obtain a result of £508,017, 

 or at the rate of £4 per acre. 



The average of the second quinquennial period produced 

 1,930,217 bushels, or 12 bushels per acre, which at 6s. per bushel 

 — a little over the average price as given in the tables — will yield 

 a gross return of £579,065, or at the rate of £3 12s. per acre. 



I am not prepared to say whether this rate of remuneration 

 compensates the farmer for his outlay, toil, and trouble in New 

 South "Wales, but we know- that the farmers of South Australia 

 are perfectly content to sell their wheat on the ground at 3s. 6d. 

 per bushel, and that the average yield per acre does not exceed 

 our own ; and moreover, that wheat and flour constitute one of 

 their principal articles of export, whilst with us the average 

 produce is barely sufficient for the supply of one-half the popu- 

 lation — the average of the first five years being about 3^ bushels 

 per head, and the average of the last five years being about four 

 bushels per head. The average allowance per head of the 

 population, including wheat for seed, is estimated at 7| bushels. 



The value of the imports of wheat and flour, deducting exports, 

 has averaged no less than £472,560 ; whilst of grain of all kinds 

 used for food — wheat and flour inclusive, the balance of imports 

 over exports has exceeded half a million sterling per annum, 

 (£538,005) during the ten years under review. 



* Barley, oats, potatoes, sown grasses, &c. 



