COLONIAL PRODUCTS.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2157, 5 April 1870, Page 2

COLONIAL PRODUCTS.

It needs hut a glance at the statistical tables (says the Wellington Independent) to see what ample immediate employment New Zealand itself can provide for an enormous addition to its producing population. With its gold mines in every part of the Colony, and the certainty of a rapidly-increasing development of the flax industry, it is apparent that New Zealand has little need to fear the want of a market within herself, for any quantity not only of the necessaries, but also of the luxuries of life whiclj. she can grow, and the consumption is likely to increase in a far more rapid ratio than the production, unless an enormous addition be made to the agriculturists, who are already far behind the requirements of the Colony. Taking a most cursory glance at the statistics of ISGS —what do we find imported, which could he equally well, probably better and more cheaply produced by our own sma'l farmers within the Colony, if they had only the roads to get their produce certainly and rapidly to the numerous ports ? Imported beer, which we have every facility for making for ourselves, froths in our face to the extent of L 85,000 a year. New Zealand cows by thousands run unmilked, wdiile L 28,000 worth of foreign butter melt in our mouths. New Zealand mice had the opportunity of nibbling L 12,000 worth of foreign cheese, Australian hens cackled to the tune of Ll 1,000 worth of eggs cracked on New Zealand tables, L14(1,000 was expended on flour, to he consumed in the shape of New Zealand bread and puddings, to which was added L 9,000 worth of bottled fruit to make New Zealand pies. New Zealand dessert was furnished with L 20.000 worth of fresh fruit, and L3OOO worth of musty nuts. L 93,000 was taken to pay for foreign grain, ami in addition to the bill for beer, an item for malt appears of L 44.000, besides L 45,090 more for hops. Importations, chiefly from Australia, of cattle, hj rses, and sheep amounted to Lll9,00l). Nearly L4OOO was paid for meal, and while New Zealand pigs ran half wild by thousands, and potatoes were rotting in the ground, L 15,090 was spent for Australian and English bacon, L 25.000 for hams, and L7OOO for pickled pork. New Zealand pasture was sown with L 14,000 worth of English grass seeds; L 22,000 was spent in soap to wash away New Zealand dirt, while the materials for its manufacture are wasted wholesale on every New Zealand homestead. The farmers surely might appropriate some of the L 293,000 which went in the purchase of sugar, or at least they could produce honey in endless quantity to supjfly its place. L 78,000 was paid for timber certainly not better than our own bush lauds, produce ! and the purchase of L 90,000 worth of tobacco has absolutely ended in smoke as far as this Colony is concerned. L 87.000 was paid for wines, though gooseberries and rhubarb are almost weeds in every garden in these islands, and would make as good and far purer champagne tb an that which gets into th e unfortunate miner’s head. But last—and the item which should make our little farmers blush— L 22,000 went the year before last to pay the market gardeners of Victoria for fresh vegetables imported here. We might add largely to our list. We might fairly complain, for instance, that New Zealand farmers gain no benefit from the grain which must bo used from which to distil L 218.000 worth of spirits imported in 18(58; but we do not think it necessary to go any farther, especially when it is remembered that the bulk of all the imports to which we have referred come from the neighboring colony of Victoria, which, with a far inferior soil, not at all to be compared with that which we possess, we allow successfully to compete with us in our own markets. ”