New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1877.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5014, 19 April 1877, Page 2

New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY.) THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 1877.

We are indebted to Mr. Seed, Collector of Customs, for a copy of the Agricultural Blue Book of the United Kingdom. The book contains a mass of statistical information relative to the state of agricultural and pastoral pursuits in Great Britain and Ireland. It also contains separate tables giving the results of agricultural operations in the various States of Europe, the United States, the Dominion of Canada, and the Australian colonies and New Zealand. We have long contended that this colony is the most productive of the Australasian group; that its soil is superior to theirs in cropproducing capabilities, and hence that Ave can ofl’er the strongest inducements to any number of intelligent emigrants to settle amongst us. The tables which Ave subjoin are strongly confirmatory of the views we have advocated, and we quote them in full for general information. We may now go a step further, as the statistics of the European States and America, which Ave also give, show that even in those countries where agriculture is most closely attended to, and carried on upon the most scientific and improved principles, the yield per acre is far beloiv the average yield in New Zealand. It may appear rash on our part to affirm thatthesoislandsarosupurior in their cropproducing capabilities to the most productive agricultural countries of the world; but the staHsHcs before referred to fully sustain this assertion. The average yield per acre is not given for the United Kingdom, but there is no reason to suppose that it Avould exceed that of Holland and Belgium. Great attention has been paid to agriculture in these countries, as also in Germany. In America and Russia the style of farming is nearly exhaustive. By this we mean continual cropping, Avithout any effort being made to re-invigorate the soil. The result is that, in consequence of the immense area under cultivation in the south of Russia and in America, both countries figure largely in the aggregate yield. But this is not a true test of the real productiveness of a country. The yield per acre presents the only crucial test. The same remarks apply to the colony of South Australia. The aggregate yield of Avheat in that colony exceeds that of any British colony south of the Equator. But this result is produced by the immense acreage under cultivation ; Avhereas the yield per acre is below that of her neighbors. Judged by this unerring criterion, this colony is not only in the van of the Australian colonies, but is in advance of the Kingdoms of Europe and the great Republic of North America. The following are the statistics of the yield per statute acre :

Thus we see that in point of productiveness the land of New Zealand is far ahead of that of the sister colonies, and that Tasmania stands next upon the list.

Let us now compare these figures with the published statistics of the colonies of Southern Africa, Capo of Good Hope and Natal, the only other British colonies of importance in the Southern Hemisphere, and the result will still further prove our superiority ;

lleturns for oats are not given. We now come to the statistical returns for Europe and America, placing the returns for New Zealand underneath for easy reference.

In the Dominion of Canada tho average yield of four principal States for 1871 was 10 3 bushels of wheat and 4 tons of potatoes. It will be observed that Holland exceeds the New Zealand average in barley and oats, but we excel them in wheat and potatoes. Belgium, again, produces a higher average of oats, but is inferior to us in wheat, barley, and potatoes. Wo learn incidentally from the report that the average yield of wheat in Britain is about 27 bushels per acre, making Now Zealand 4 bushels per acre in advance of that country. In tho report from which we have quoted the foregoing figures, the yield of the potato crop in Europe and America is given in bushels ; we have reduced them to tons to make the comparison more explicit to our readers. Holland, as wo have before remarked, is perhaps, with tho exception of Belgium, the most highly cultivated country in the world ; and yet New Zealand, as will bo seen by tho statistics, boars a very favorable comparison with it. We are fully conscious of the fact that anything we can say will not give additional weight to this array of figures. This colony has been subjected to tho severest possible tost, and she has more than sustained tho loftiest expectations of her friends and well-wishers. Her history has been a short one, but not without serious drawbacks—drawbacks indeed to which but few dependencies of the British Empire have been subjected. But throughout those dark periods of her history, there were not wanting farseeing men who foretold tho future greatness of those islands—men of intelligence who

recognised the latent resources of the colony. Their anticipations have been ] more than realised. New Zealand has already outstripped her compeers, and distanced old and civilised nations. A word or two to the intending emigrant from the old country, and then we have done. Many of those brave old colonists to whom we have referred are still among us, and they are in the possession of considerable wealth, and are basking in the sunshine of an honorable independence. There are yet millions of broad acres and large areas of this splendid land awaiting occupation, offering present abundance, and future independence to honest industry. All wc want is population. Here are mighty forests waiting the axe of the sturdy woodsman. Wo want men and women, honest and true —true to themselves and true to the land of their adoption; and when tens of thousands have landed on our shores there will be yet room for more.

Australasian Colonies. Colonies. Years, Wheat Barley. Oats. Pota’s Bshls. Bshls. Bshls. N. S. Wales 1874-75 129 173 163 2*8 Victoria 1875-70 11-7 20'5 187 30 1874-75 140 2ro 18-5 3'5 S. Australia 1875-76 15-5 22*2 21 0 3*1 1874-75 117 152 147 37 1875-76 12-0 141 16*7 4*5 W. Australia 1874-75 12 0 10*0 160 30 Tasmania .. 1874-75 185 24 5 2G’8 37 N'owZealand 1875-70 164 27*8 25’4 3 5 1874-75 23'3 29’4 35'2 f>*2 1875-76 31*5 35 0 38*0 4*9

Colonies. Years. Wheat. Barley. Pota’s Cape of Good Hope Natal rises (1875 J 1874 i 1876 Bushels. 6 *a 8 9 12 6 10*8 Bushels 8 9 15’4 8-U 13 2 Tons. 1*36 0*75 2‘2

Countries. Years. Wheat Barley. Oats. Pota’s Russia 1872 5-5 8 0 16-6 8 9 Sweden 1874 . 4’I Norway 1870 221 30**3 Bavaria 1803 10*3 20*1 22*5 3 4 Wurtemburg 1875 18-1 212 29*3 19 Holland 1874 28-1 41-9 44*4 Belgium 1868 20-3 84‘9 41*2 France 1873 13 1 18*7 23*8 3’75 Portugal .. 1S05 89 111 18*8 Austria (Pr.) 1875 12'5 135 10'2 8 6 Hungary .. 1872 8 0 13*6 16*5 17 Greece 1807 13'2 18*8 190 Egypt 1871 151 20 2 Unit'd States 1871 12 3 20*6 22*0 3 6 Now Zealand 1871-75 28-2 29*4 35'2 62 >, 1875-76 315 35 9 33*0 1*0