USE OF THE LAND.

Manawatu Herald, Volume L, Issue 40035, 5 December 1929, Page 3

USE OF THE LAND.

A NEW ZEALAND SURVEY.

SOME INTERESTING STATISTICS.

Wellington, December 3. In the elaborate report by the Government 'Statistician on the agricultural and pastoral production of New Zealand, some important facts can be gleaned by carefully examining the statistics. The total area of the Dominion is about 66 million acres, but over , 22 million a ekes left out of the calculations as they comprise such unprofitable areas as mountain' tops. Of the land in profitable use, the immense proportion is under grass, but the grasslands which arc sown pasture showed a decrease last year compared with 1928, of 16,018 acres. Tussock and other native grasses, on the other band, are shown as having increased by nearly 40,000 acres. The most notable advance in land use of recent yealrs has been iii the establishment of plantations. These now total 293,911 acres, and during the year the areas planted hi conifers have increased by 51,539 acres, and the eucalypts and broad-leaved trees by 10,289 acres.

iTJre following' shows how the Land area o£ the Dominion is utilised : Acres. Orchards, market gardens, nurseries, vineyards and

It is shown that the areas in crops increased by 56,831 acres last year. Persons employed on farms, including those owners who work cn the area, totalled 138,609, showing the substantial increase of 9128 for the year. Dairying heads the list as the land occupation for it gives employment to 56,825 males and 17,861 females. Another important development in the use of the land is shown in the details of farm machinery. The advent of 'hydro-electricity has been welcomed in the dairying industry, with the result that since 1921 the number of electric motors used on farms has risen from 456 to 13,377 last year, the nominal horse-power totalling 24,713. Farm tractors are also rapidly coining into use, 150(0 additional machines of this type having been, added last year, making a total of 337. Thus it is not surprising, on turning to the particulars of horses in the Dominion, to find that last year they decreased by 8174, and now total under 300,000 for the whole country.

seed gardens 31,271 Crops 1,746,200 Residences, outbuildings, etc. 73,263 Fallow land 117,944 Sown grasses 16,855,512 New, Zealand flax 62,704 Tussock and other native grasses 14,131,630 Fern, scrulb etc., 4,016,774 Plantations conifers 252,052 Ditto eucalyipts 'and broadleafed 41,859 Standing virgin bush 3,883,805 Ba|rren and unproductive land 2,309,117 'Totals 43,522,131