Sept. 1893.] 



GENERAL AGRICULTURAL NOTES. 



185 



Agricultural Returns of New Zealand for 1895-96. 



In a recent number of the New Zealand Farmer attention is 

 directed to the agricultural and stock returns for the colony, 

 which have been published in a supplement to the New Zealand 

 Gazette. The period covered by these returns is from February 

 to December of last year. Comparing the tables given with 

 those published in former years, it appears that the information 

 has been collected under a far more elaborate system, which, if 

 the particulars given are fairly accurate, makes the statistics for 

 1895-96 more valuable for purposes of reference. This year, 

 also, endeavours have been made to obtain individual returns 

 from the Maoris. The returns of stock apply to cities and 

 boroughs as well as in country districts, so that, on the whole, 

 it is believed that a more accurate record of actual facts as 

 regards the country's farming and agricultural condition has 

 been obtained than hitherto. As the tables are in a different 

 form from those of other years comparative figures are not 

 given ; also as respects grain crops, only acreages are set 

 down, and the number of bushels of grain on hand at the 

 time the returns were compiled. The harvest returns of 1895- 

 96 have since been estimated from the actual threshing yields 

 of a few representative crops in each district, but these figures 

 have not yet been published. 



The acreage under corn crops for the whole colony sown or 

 intended to be sown for the season 1895-96 was as follows : — 





Wheat. 



Oats. 



Barley. 



Rye. 



For threshing - 

 For other purposes 



Total 



Acres. 

 245,441 



4,213 



Acres. 

 364,788 



171,556 



Acres. 

 35,358 



1,859 



Acres. 

 3,366 



3,093 



249,654 



536,344 



37,217 



6,459 



The area of peas is set down at 7,323 acres, and of beans at 

 4,894 acres. There were less than 500 acres of vetches grown, and 

 almost all of it for threshing, according to the official returns. 

 Of linseed there was an area grown last year of 2,104 acres; 

 the total area under hops was 352 acres. The area of other 

 crops not enumerated was 2,812 acres. 



With regard to grass, upon land previously ploughed, the area 

 of sown pasture grasses was set down at 4,074,212 acres, of 

 which 3,992,024 acres were used exclusively for grazing, 70,544 

 acres being cut for hay. The surface- sown grass lands, according 

 to the returns, covered an area of 5,030,267 acres, making in all 

 an aggregate area of sown grass lands of 9,104,479 acres, an 

 increase, as compared with the previous returns, of 274,762 acres. 



