Agricultural Returns

Feilding Star, Volume XIII, Issue 140, 23 May 1892, Page 3

Agricultural Returns

The last issue of the Gazette contains the results of .the collection bf statistics relating to land in cultivation, made in February last, from which we extract the following:— : » '- Oroua County —Number of holdings, 1457, of which 1290 are freehold. Broken up but ixpt under' crop, 345 acres; in wheat, 1522 ii oats for green food ll'4>, for hay 375, for gram 1587; in barley, 47; in potatoes, 355.; in turnips or rape, 3,313 ; in other crops, 153 ; in hay, 66' i ; in grasses after being broken up, excluding ftuch as in hay, 7,417; grass sown lauds not ploughed, including such as in hay, 214,239 ; in garden, 413; in orchard 537. Estimated producer-Wheat, 31, 650 bushels; oats, 55,067 bushels; barley, 1,056 bushels ; protatoes, 2,560 tons; hay, 1,181 tons; cocksfoot, 15,247 bus* hell; ryegrass, 4,248 bushels. The number of holdings in the Mana« watu County are 264, of which 188 ace freehold ; Kangftikei, 457 (freehold 296). The extent of land broken up but not under crop is— Manawatu; 185 acres; BangitikeK 1701. In wheat—Eangitikei, 3319 j Manawatu, 1457. In oats for gram— Bangitikei, 2639; Manawatu, 1728. la barley—EangUikei, 12; Mana watu, 112^ In potatoes—Rangitikei, 3886; Manawatu, 2882. In other crops Rangitikei, 5 ; Manawatu, 58. In hay —Bangitikei, 364; Manawatu, 221. In grasses after Being broken, up—Bangitikei, 53,466 ; Manawatu, 20,180. Grass lands not previously ploughed - Bangi* tikei, 144,922; Manawatu, 68,037. .In garden Ranftititei, 37; Manawatu, 49. In orchard Bangitikei, 312 ; Manawsto, 123 Ttw e«timated. produce, was;—Ran^ _jti3 tei_J.'Wheat, 77,977 bushels; oats, 90,386; Darley, 311; potatoes, 1275 tons; hay, 763 ton? ; cocka-foot, 4021 bushels; rvegrass, 1433 bushels. Manawatu— \Vheat, bushels; oats, 68,132; barlej, 2563; Potatoes* 548 tons; hay, 6557t0n5; cocksfoot, 132 bushels; rjegrnss, 1330 bushels.

The Steeplechase Versus Hurdle 4 • Racing ■ - ■ : ■♦ . -. . Seme excitement has beea caused; amongst ' !! cross-country- sportsmen by the recent action of the National Hunt Committee with refrar-i to steepfcfjhasinfir. For a long time past/ thiVelaW of sport, says the " Evening' Sian<)ard," We been steadily declining in favour of hurdle racing, and tLe problem has been how to advance the one without injuring tbe other. With clerks of courses and managers of gate-money meetings every encouragement has been given to racing over hurdles, simply because it brings more grist to the mill. '1 hese gen- ( tleman, in spite of their loudly-pro-desiri to promote true sport, ever Keep their weather eye open to the main chance. Their creed begins and ends with but one central idea — profit and loss. li steeplechasing couid be macle to king in the shekels wi b the some rapidity as does racing ovdr sticks, tben, no doubt, all their ener- j gies would be devoted to fosteringthis branch ot sport. But, unfortuuately, tLe manufacture oi a good cross-country horse is a work of much labour and time, whereas almost any thoroughbred can be schooled to negotiate hurdles successfully in the course of a few weeks. Moreover, a hurdle race partakes of the nature of a five-furlong contest on the flat, and therefore attracts more, readily all the gambling elements .of tho turf which are so essential to the success of a gate-money meeting Small wonder then that during' the ille^itimte season the *' Calender" is crowned with programmes of meetings in which true steeplechasing plays a very sorry part, whilst large prizes are offered for worthless contests over hurdles. At last the National Hunt Committee, which takes the place of the Jockey Club in these matters, lias the matter seriously in hand, and at a recent meeting it resolved so to alter one of its rules as to make it run as follows : — " A t every meeting advertised to take place solely under these rules there shall be in each day's programms at least two steeplechases, one of which must be of three miles or upwards ; a:.d of the total amount guaranteed for prizes, one-half at least shall be apportioned to steeplechases." Witnout doubt such a drastic measure as this is enough to make enterprising managers of meetings during- the jumping season sit up. it means no less than a total alteration of their plans, and possible the suppression of many gatherings which, if they were aboliched to»naorrow, never would be missed. That it will do more than this, and ultimately .put fresh life into cross- country sport and bring us back to the day when horses like Lottery, Gay Lad, Jerry Clasher, and Moonraker flourished, must be the earnest wish of every true sportsman. In any cose, the vigorous action of the National Hunt Committee cannot but be productive of {food, if only it serves to draw public attention to the difference between the bastard sport now provided for its delectation and that which was seen when steeplechasing* was in its zenith.