NEW ZEALAND CROPS.

Motueka Star, Volume V, Issue 244, 22 December 1903, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND CROPS.

Official Statistics. An interim return of corn and green crops is given in the "Gazette" issued last week. The collection of the statistics began on October 14th and were continued until November 10th. The Secretary for Agriculture [Mr J. D. Ritchie] remarks that the present season has heen exceedingly favourable for crops, and everything points to a plentiful harvest. In oats the area returned for thrashing is 4q8,419 acres, n decrease of 75,-; "2"40 \ere.s on imst —y«av'fi - figures TJ &_. area returned for chaffing, ensilage ami feeding do.vn is 208,816 acres —an increase of 3459 acre» i>ii last year. In wheat the area returned for threshing is 230,040 acres, an increase of 35,685 acres over last year's figures. The area returned for chaffing, ensilage and feeding down is 665 acres—a decrease of 235. acres on last year. The acreage for the year in respect to the crops has decreased 17,579 acres. A very large amount of grain is on banp — bushels of wheat and of flour, and 3,976,382 bushels of oats. These figures are much in advance of last year's. The green crops sown or to be sown this year are :—Potatoes, 31,638 acres; turnips, 406,355 acres ; rape, 118,348 acres ; mangolds, 7810 acres ; beet, 915 acres; carrots, 1798 acres; various other crops, 3874 acres. All these aie an increase on last year with the exception of rape, mangolds and carrots.