ANNUAL AGRICULTURAL REPORT

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 636, 13 October 1909, Page 10

ANNUAL AGRICULTURAL REPORT

: ; YESTERDAY. \ FEATURE'S:', :■■'■>: : : : Mbst;• likely;..the: annual agricultural;, report laid.on ; the table;of the Hou.so of.Representatives yesterday afternoon will :be.tho : last issued by the :i of 'Agriculture. .-,' The Minister, proposes'' ; to replace it.'jvith: a' monthly journal.' ;For that - reason, therefore, even if viowed-apart from'-its contents, it-is. interesting. Certain appendices aro.this year omitted, and the.grouping-.of tho matter is r slightly changed. First is -the introductory review.'by; the Secretary -fori Agriculture; Then in appendix A are printed the 'reports of th'e'h'eads of divisions, arid finally in .appendix-.8,(n0t. yet. printed) will appear the records of experiments and investigations; ; .This appendix will .also!;record tho results,of investigations begun,; by Mr! Gilruth, and completed, by liim since/his arrival in Melbourne. ~:.., .'■ ."•'■ -

Wheat' and : Oats. ••' ■"' -I .:';:': * : The..report, of the .' Secretary..', (Mr. J.., D. Ritchie); alludes to the good Reason experienced,' and .the great and increasing, volume of Sroducts.. .The* trado depression, - however, reuced the value—chiefly of wool. The exports in the; three .years-.ended, on September 30 are stated for contrast:—, -.-,....,......... ; y'-i- '■■■'■ ■'-.■.■;'• .•."■ „;„w.??P 8 - : '■ - 1907. ;.;■■; 1906.,.; TotaUexp.orts 19,C87,573, 17,554,850 Farm; .-.'... •'..•;',...,:' -■■■.;■ ' .exported :;:.'.. 13,035,337 ,17,000,475 14,970,078 ;:iThe; wheat harvests; of.; 1909 'and; 1908' are 'set 'out-"in>the\f6llowirig, : cbntra'st!.:—-.;,"... .'' ."■ '•'''

:,''.'»"V ■•:':; ',;'■■''■".•'\'Bushels.;': -Total' -. .■'.„■•'.:"-s.'V- -V.,.;;'-.'. Acres.: Per.,acro.'".,'v Bushels: v»i9o9';''.» •':";» •252,391'- 34i75'- • ! 8,772,i90 i'l9CB-'':.;;' ~•••:; 193,031 '. ■ '2SiB4 ■'/■ 5,567,139, 'v'VlncreaseV,-'^^ 'consumption' was'"small •ovriiig' - ' ?-high prices' ..and'- 1 the. 1 decfpaso .of poultry-keeping, the year 1909 found ; her. .'an exporter of over 2,000,000 bushels: iTlie increases bf:;3,Sß4,927. : |bushels of oats ariU 775,049 bushels of barley ara also' set out, as-well as tho muchincreased growth; of ;'green, crops, 'rape, kale, mangolds,!,: and •; ca'rrots,.'and tho' '.decrease' of turnips. ~'. •'.'■"'■■ '-.' ■' ;' '■'•!'..

Sheep. '.'.•'•:...."'.;' .■■'.;.'■■'.'■/ :': i;'"'•.';;!'%•■ ■-.''.. : ; ■■'. 'The' moyementjs.,p,f, sheep are ..shown ' jri .these 'figures:— V:;';'■".;•.;, ( - iV .:,!•',■/".■". V ''"'.;' i^;«;':,; ''Sj'-'/i'-'il- ; ''-[ ' '■ ■"..' ' .''Exported. '. • '~. ':'•''■■. ■-',"■ ■ Sheep 'on''■':■. ;■ .':■'-.■ .Legb.etc. . :. '...■,;.,. ,; April 30.. -Sheep, . Cwfc"'•. Lambs. 1908' ::. "22,449,053 1,609,890 '.• 321305 ,2,023,593 1907 .'."..V: 20,933,772 . 1,989,333 ! : '3t,030 .2,844,215 1906; •/...' 20,108,471- '1,778,877/. '32,172 ;2,425.075 v'tt.{h'e,total figures of. tho 'season;jiist closing ■eoiild' have; been added, this table would havo presented a much'more favourable view.. ■ rh'« ; flgufei,'aVailable'up t»'Slarch;.3l..la > st,: however, enable, the";'report,,to . show:; an" ;increase : of ■303,616; carcasses on the halfcyeiirivlt.was.esti-: I nfiilld' ! J)^tjl;he'. , p.6mini6n?s - 'shcßt>,'on. April-.30 jast'showed-'au'. iricreaso of ."at least.;a million oil'; the 'year.;, Tho. great increase, in the number of• ram's'bred bad reduced values ,of-all •but the'best'ani'mals.* Tbo chiof featuro.'waa the great introdubtion of Southdown rams/to.-tl™ 'North"!lsland.'fpr;fatflamb purposes."■.;.■ ■.' ■£s;'; ; ■' ■ -r'yi'■:■; ''-~ :: - .^.4, : .- The 'cattle-i'had, ; .diminished ■!&'■''number&ton i;actober''3V"' ; Moß;''V',l,773;326rf'a ; .';decrease.'%f 42,5f73.'.■<■..%.-'.:".'..'.'.."'■:.?'■■ :':.■ -'X : '>':>='i'k*?- : . .;' "Tho destruction.'of calves .'immediately.MJn. \thoir.birth"; (says ..the Tcpprt) "is_ likolyvjjto 'continueas jong-as milk- remains at .its present 'high value, pf.vuhtil a : crisis arrives, which•will raise the value, of calves 1 , to a'.level.at. wlieh ' ■it. will ,bp to • rear. them, -At, present ifewv. calves. iWe/rearpd '.by •dairy-farmeh;.'pthpr .than the-'.heifers from the best. dairy.'.cows;' and/the rearing of stock for. beef purposes receives very little consideration." •.' • ,''.:'', J

:; i ßutti)r? , | li v) ;j^^V^', S.; ; ': :S-::,;'::::i"!$ '" ..Asto .butter, ahd-the increased output," tho ~ i.tho . ;watcr..,in,';^u{ter ; "has Eijicreasgd, ,'■ isomo 'c'omplairit'.on ;.itn'e--part .of;*ooyers.'%nd'Vithi;rs;:''vlt "lias";b'eijn found that, .the, best results... havo been .obtained by producing ■ a'.'.biittcr..of,' legitimate .mdlstur'e-conterit." 'l'hero id every, prospect of a; further ..extension: of-'the .dairy ' industrj*. ~ of.'the. new .couritryJ./Opehe'd.. for. settle'hient in -the. North Island;'is "well 'adapted ■for:this .branch of farming,, but the, difficulty . 'for".somoilittle ■ time ; will; be ,to,'obtain cows of good;,quality."-ij.'.''.'.,,'' >//ii ; . ;•/ '•'•■''"''• '■'. •. ; Bearing", sbmeivhat;.'on this is .'the "further 'statement 'of ihe 'jmport'irito'thy United Kingdom, of boned beef ,has caused a reduction in the.Vprices obtainable for", culled cows .and other, classes of, stock >)of-otherttbap the'best quality.,-Tho'modinca-'stion-. ,'of ..'the,'.' regulations ;■ in . . of 1 'the .importatioh.'of beef;in'/ pieces (which can bo, recognised. as 'being from a par■ticular .part of !the: carcass, may ."enable:..,this: ! '.trade 'to be'.resiumed to' some .extent,. 'otherwise .tho', : culle'd"cbw'"will'have" very, littlo- value be-' lyond '.that of her hido;. and there, will bo less ;encpur(igemcnt'••'to remove .poor milkers from ■'the herds;'""''■•'!• v'.'- : ': '•' '•'':'■:.

,';' ,;-;,--.'-ry^ \-y ■:\ ■' , Iriforestihg details. are: given- respecting'.tho ''wool" and. 'meat industry ..(with.'-.-' comparisons ■•with ■•Australiaand .■Argentina),'"and. it is added .that "the Dominion Veterinarian-in London has. done good work in observing and reporting, /upon,,the .condition in which the- meat,has arrived, and .upon the repute in which it is held.in the markets. 'The. carriage of meat in. the chilled;stage is still under,experiment, and, while- trial' shipments.-'have"• not: always Jjeen satisfactory, ithore."is every ,prospect of succoss.s'being. aftained." ~-.:■■' ■ :•,-;■,. ■■:■■;'•'■/ ■::.of';'special;.inter.estNwill be 'Mr. EitchieV extensive retrospect, which forms; part, 'of/his report. He explains its .inclusion by stating: ."At this time, when. I am about: to-sever .my.' connection. with the Department ■ which, has grown;, up undor. my: care, a', brief sketch -of (Since its inSo .doubt : .this' record (with: a 'few valedictory'words) fronr the- pen v of thc:-raari who,, more than anyone else,.has personified .the Department'from the day of ; .its birth to :tho great sad day of re-trenchment,;'.will-be one of the-'best read sec.tions: of, the. report. .It will, .perhaps, be some .weeks before',the report reaches', the hands of •;tlie,'fatmers'.v -; . •■.. '•-.■ -~•.'/./v; •,.',•; ."■:' v