The Chronicle LEVIN: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1916. AGRICULTURE.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 November 1916, Page 2

The Chronicle LEVIN: TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1916. AGRICULTURE.

Early returns concerning grain, pulse, green and root crops, obtained from the census papeirs completed a few weeks, ago, already are published. They appear in the latest i»sue of the iGovernment Gazette (dated 23rd November). The promptitude of the 'Government Statistical Department in tabulating and publishing these complete returns is deserving of commendation. The returns show for the season 1915-1(3 that Canterbury still retained lior place a« the chief agricultural centre of Xow Zealand: there are, hi tlu> Canterbury Land •Distrct. 795, acres of land in cultivation, of which aiea 502,278$ are in grain and pulse crops. Otago comes next in area sown, vtith 172,7971 acres of grain ond pulso crops and 157,110 cf green and root crops: a total of 3SD,207 J. Auckland Land District Ims the largest area of agricultural land in ufe in the XVirth Island, the total being 20G,685i acres. Wellington Land District conies next with 157,\V>1 • then Hawke's Bay with 112,604, and Tniran:>ki with 82.635 acres. All but 12,920J acres of Taranaki's ax©a is in green or root crops, giving proof that pastoral punsuita stiill (predominate over all others in Taranaki province.

We note, in passing, that the area of ground sown with cereal and pulse crops is increasing in Horowhenua County. There was a total of 16631 acres thus utilised in this country. The dairying industry, however, stili fills chief place in this country's activities, ami is likely to do so for many decades. In 1915-16 th:> a:ea sown with green crjps and root crops: totalled acres, thus giving a total of 6.822£ acres in cultivation throughout the country. Turning to more, detailed tables given in tiui Gazette we note that in 1915-16 there were 50 acres of wheat grown .11 t'ni.s county for thrashing; also six a-cres of wheat for hay or ensilage. Thirtyfive acres of oats were grown for threshing, and '1,4283 acres of rath for chaff, hay or ensl'age. Even barlev was grown in the county (3D acres in .all, 29 i'cr threshing, bes:di?s 78J .acres of peas for threshing and 23J acres of maize. From "the foregoing figures it becomes apparent that while the golden cow holds chirf place in the causes of our county's sncces sas a producer of wealth, there still is a Ittle progress being made towards the desirable end of producing within our confines the first-class oats and maize that "can' be grown here, and the second-class wheat for''which our poultry farmers could provide a market profitable to growers and themselves alike.