THE PRODUCING INDUSTRIES OF NEW ZEALAND.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 262, 4 November 1872, Page 4

THE PRODUCING INDUSTRIES OF NEW ZEALAND.

(From the Otago Daily Times). The agricultural and gold-mining statistics of the colony for 1872, and the census of February, 1871, afford together materials for some calculations -as to the relative and aggregate importance of the three great producing industries of New Zealand, viz., the agricultural, the paetoral, and the goldmining interests; and also for fairly estimating the degree of prosperity to which the colony has reached as regards the development of its internal resources. The question, " What have we to live upon ? " is one of vital importance to States as well as to individuals, and though the distribution of wealth is controlled by other laws than those which regulate its production, it is clear thßt the aggregate production of valunble commodities is the first thiDg to be considered . before arriving at any conclusion respecting our power to support population. To avoid a too great multiplicity of figures, we shall deal with the colony as a whole, merely indicating the relative position of the North and South Islands, and of our own province in the final summary. AREA. OP LAND UNDER CROP. Throughout the colony, in February, 1872, there were 1,122,811 acres of land under crop, and 96,411 acres broken up hut riot under crop, showing a grand total under cultivation of 1,226,222 acres. Of the quantity under crop, the following are the details :— Acres. Estimated produce. Wheat ... 108,720 2.448,302 bushels. Oats ... 139,185 3,726,810 bushels. Barley ... 13.305 287,646 bushels. Oaten hay 19,% l Potatoes... 11.933 42,130 tons. Pastoral ... 823,246 Other crops 12 561 1,129,811 VALUE OP CROPS. Leaving for the moment the annual value of the large area of pasture land out of the question, as mixed up with the value of live stock which it supports, we will confine ourselves to a rough valuation of the grain and potato crop. Reckoning the wheat at an average of 45., the oats at Is. Bd., and the bai-ley at 4s. 6\\. per hushel respectively, and the potatoes at £3 p^r ton, we arrive at a grand total of £991,317, from which deduct 10 per cent, for overestimate and, for seed, and the net result is £892,186, or an averapp of £3 Bs. per aete, nearly— namely, £4 Is. for whent, £2 o*. 21 for oats, £4 7s. 6 1. for barley, and £9 10s. for potatoes. It. is apparent. I that oats must have left a heavy loss to the producer, and wheat, and barley a fair profit on the aversge, taking the cost of producing and conveying to market at, in round numbers, £3 3s. per acre. PASTURAGE. The value of pasturage can only be looked at in connection with stock, and as the latter are to a large .extent depastured on natural grasses, and only fattened off on artificial grasses, it is impossible to give anything like an accurate valuation, except by reference to the known capabilities of good artificial pasture in producing an annual return. We believe this return will range between £l and £2 per acre, according to the locality, and season, and the relative prices of store and fat stock, which again are regulated by a variety of considerationsT^Dßiry produce would also require to be taken into account. Io the year ending February 1871, the latest of which we have any account, the return shows that 5.199,072 lbs. of butter, and 2,547.507 lbs. of cheese were produced ; reckoning the former at °9 J, and the latter at sd, this alone would give a value of £248,026, or about six shillings an acre on the whole area of artificial grasses. Altogether, we cannot be far wrong in putting down the . annual food producing value of each acre of artificial pasture at twenty-five shillings, or a total of £1 ,029,057 from this source: alone. Omitting, then, oaten hay and miscellaneous crops, as chiefly employed' in supporting the farmers' and carriers* horses, and supplementing a deficiency of winter grass, we have , Value/ of grain and potato £ crops '.:. ... ... 892,186! Value of pasturage ... ..„ 1,029,057 £1,921,243.' Very respectable figures for such a young and sparsely .populated colony bb ours. * LIVE STOCK. The totals for the colony, taken at the census of February 1871, are as follows : — A Horses ' 81,028 Cattle . ...... t 436,51)2 * * Pigs , 151,460 . < Sheep ..." ' ... 9,700,629 of ,at^ Least, s 'percent., H may be" addedVto^ these" figures since the jjfi date of theae compi tetiooa. ,; v)> pj^ r , J

This brings us to. an estimate of the value of our great staple commodity. WOOL. As near ds can be calculated, oourr r ex-ports-of wool cannot now fall short of 40,000*000 lbs., valued at £2,000,000, or an average of Is. per lb., which is considerably lees than the official "return, thus calculating that the largest portion goes home in the grease, and that there has been some decline from the highest rales ruling last year. LABOR EMPLOYED. It is, of course, oaly possible to approximate to a correct estimate ihe number of aMe-bodied men employed in these industries. Besides the regular station and farm hands, there are a large number employed during the five months from November to March inclusive in shearing washing, packing, and carting wool, »n<) harvesting, threshing, and car.ting grain. In a large number of cases the shearers are also the harvest bands, and it is only possible to arrive at a rough estimate of their number by calculating how many bands it will take to perform each of the processes, allowing two months for shearing and two for harvestiujr, and addiog a certain number of hands for supervision; cutting, &c. We should set down the regular farm and station hands employed all the year round- at 15,000; and casual hands, employed an average of four months in the year at 18,000; the lolal cost of whose labor cannot be less than £1,250,000 to the farmer and runholder. , CAPITAL EMPLOYED Beckoning only the 1,220,222 acres of land under cultivation, and excluding altogether the large area bought and fenced but not cultivated, we may snfelv put it down at. an average value of £4 per acre, including fences and impiovemeuts, making £4,904.888. . The horses may be averaged at £12, the cattle at £2 lOs, and pigs at £1 per head, making £2,319.468. Sheep valued together with the runs aDd improvements, at ao average of fifteen shillings per head would produce £7,641.715 — astouisbing figures, dm not higher than the avemge capital value at the present time. Puttiug these together, we ha"c the following, as the aggregate value of capital invested in agricultural and pastoral pursuits :— £ Frpehold land and improvements 4 904,88* Horses, cattle, and pigs ... 2,319,468 Sheep, with stations and improvements ... ... 7,641,715 Machinery, threshing, reaping, &c 150,000 £15,016 071 ANNUAL RETURN. The total annubl return, besides increase in the number of animals, according to the figures already quoted, is £6.705,763, to which add flax (wiih an export o 1 £100 000 a year) nnd timber, valued at It-ast another £100,000, ami wp have a grand total of £6,908,763 as the annual produce of our main industries — apart from trade, manufacturing, and maritime pursuits 'Puking the European population at 260,000, we have an autiual income from tbe-e sources for each mnn, womnn, and child in the country of £26 1 Is. 6d.; or for the l^orth Island, about £21 1 0=>- P ei " head, and for the Middle Island, £30 153. Taking the male population above 15 years of age at 100,000, which is near the truth, the average for the colony is over £69 per bead- — a position which might well be envied by the needy populations of the old world.