AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4388, 13 April 1875, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—ln yoor issue of yesterday's date, in giving the agricultural returns for this province- and that of Hawke’s Bay, you add a note by the RegistrarGeneral on the unreliability of the returns made from the latter of the number of acres in “ permanent artificial grasses,” from which I conclude that he considers, those for this province under the same head to be correct. As the quantity of land actually laid down in grass is probably as good a proof as anything can be of the extent to which the country is cultivated and improved, it becomes interesting to inquire whether the return made shows this with any degree of correctness. I have come to the conclusion that it does not, and that any returns made under this head must be perfectly worthless till it is distinctly stated in the form that nothing is to be included but land which has been ploughed and regularly sown. As it is, some persons give the extent of ploughed land only, while others include large blocks of surface-sown land, which I imagine would rather surprise the Registrar-General if he were shown them, as forming part of what he believes to be so many thousand acres of nicely-cultivated paddocks; so that I believe fully as great, or even a greater, allowance ought to be made for this than he has thought necessary in the case of Hawke’s Bay. I could easily show from facts within ray own knowledge, that what I have stated is correct, but hope that, attention having been called to it, such errors may be amended in future.—l am, &c., C. Pharazyn. Longwood, April 12th.