The Patea Mail PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1877.

Patea Mail, Volume II, Issue 202, 17 March 1877, Page 2

The Patea Mail PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1877.

— We acknowledged in last issue the receipt from J. 11. Lawson, Esq., ([Superintendent Collector for the Provincial District of Taranaki) of Agricultural Returns taken by him in the month of February, and that in spite of the many obstacles thrown in tho way of collection of returns, by tho negligence of landOAvncrs in not filling in forms Avhcn left, that that gentleman Avas only a I‘oav days behind the usual early date on Avhich ho lie lias been in the habit of publishing the complete returns. We have boon unable to print the table as sent hut have endeavoured to give the information contained in the table in another form. Tho totals for tho province, as published, have been omitted, hut they can easily bo ascertained by adding together the figures given for the respective Electoral Districts. It will be seen that under several heads the Toavu ot Now Plymouth has been omitted. In such cases it avIU ho understood tho returns are nil. The Agricultural' Statistics just referred to rlioav the number of Holdings in the Toavu of New Plymouth to be, freehold, 15 ; rented, 22; part freehold and part rented, 15 —total, 52 : in Grey and Bell District, freehold, 246 ; rented, 89; part freehold and part rented, 56—total, 691: in the Egmont District, freehold, 200 ; rented, 60 ; part freehold and part rented, 42—total, 302, tho total increase for the year being 153. The extent of Land Broken up but not unde]’ crop, is, in the Electoral District of Grey and Bell, 612-j acres; Egmont, 543-1- acres, shoAving a total decrease for tho year of 419 acres. Sown in Avheat, for grain only, Grey and 8011, 4024 acres, estimated to produce 8,253 bushels: Egmont, GLL}- acres, estimated to produce 17,040 bushels, shoAving a total increase for the year of 1951- acres, and in the estimated produce of 11,806 bushels. Sown in Oats, Town of Now Plymouth, for grain, 9 acres, estimated to produce 270 bushels ; Grey and 8011, for green food or hay, 123 acres ; for grain, 22 acres, estimated to produce 5,748 bushels : Egmont, for green food or hay, 554 acres ; for grain, 478 acres, estimated to produce 14,736 bushels, slioaa’ing a total decrease in oats soavu for green food of 11 acres; for grain, of G3 : j acres, and in estimated yield of 841 bushels. Soavu in Barley, for grain only, Grey and Bell, 14-4 acres, estimated to produce 400 bushels; Egmont, 334- acres, estimated to produce 635 bushels, the total increase for the year being 28-1 acres, estimated to yield 605 bushels. In Soavu Grasses (Hay), Grey and Bell, 65acres, estimated to produce 7951- tons ; Egmont, 437 acres, estimated to produce 638 tons, being a decrease for the year of 290 : } acres, and in estimated yield of 5604 tons : in Sown Grasses, after having been broken up (including such as iu Hay), Toavu of Noav Plymouth, 1734 acres; Grey and Bell, 10,3891- acres; Egmont, 10,55 Quaeres : in Grass-soAvn lauds, not previously ploughed (including such as in Hay), Town of Ncav Plymouth, 59| acres; Grey and Bell, 15,0064 acres; Egmont, 46,155 acres: the total iu Grass being, Toavu of New Plymouth, 233 acres; Grey and Bell, 25,396 acres ; Egmont, 56,71 acres, showing a total increase during the year of 24,3204 acres soavu in grass. The returns of Potatoes set are, Town of Ncav Plymouth, 31 acres, estimated to produce 11 tons; Grey and Bell, 3594acres, estimated to produce 1,5364 tons; Egmont, 282| acres, estimated to produce 1,3254 tons, being a total increase for the year of 113-} acres, and iu estimated yield of 7644 tons. Soavu in other crops, there are, iu tho Town of New Plymouth, 124 acres; Grey and Bell, 116 acres; and Egmont, 1404 acrcs, being an increase for the year of ] 4 acres. The total number of acres under crop (including soavu grasses), is, Toavu of Ncav Plymouth, 258} acres; Grey and Bell, 26,635 acres ; Egmont, 58,365-| acres, being a total increase during the year, for the Provincial District, of 24,584|- acres. Tho quantity of last year’s crop remaining on hand when Form was filled up, were set doAvn for Grey and Bell District, as, in Wheat, 1 bushel; i a Oats, 425 bushels : Egmont, iu Wheat, 9 bushels ; iu Oats, 510 bushels, being a total decrease in wheat on hand, of 66 bushels, and an increase in oats, of 66 bushels. The Taranaki Herald says, “ The returns shoAV a considerable increase in the area under crops of all kinds as compared with the state of agriculture six years since. In 1871, the entire extent of land under cultivation, inclusive of land laid down iu artificial grasses, amounted iu round numbers to 21,000 acres. The present year, under tho same heading, avo find 85,000 acres, or an increase of over four hundred per cent, in six years.

During the prist year the increase lias boon very large, bi ing 24,584 acres — whereas last year the increase on the preceding one was but 634 acres.” When it is taken into consideration the difficulties which have beset settlement on land in the northern part of the provincial district, and the heavy nature of the hush, the progress made is very encouraging. We hope tho next returns will show a much greater increase under the head of wheat. Though the increase for the past year has been considerable, it will still he necessary to import grain to supply the wants of the population.