AVERAGE PRODUCE.

Patea Mail, 13 February 1882, Page 3

AVERAGE PRODUCE.

The illree counties of Taranaki. Paten, ami Wanganui yielded, during year ending 31st March, 1881, the following quantities per acre. Grain is given in bushels, hay and potatoes in tons.

The produce in most cases was small, compared to Southern connties. Thus while Patea produced 42,000 bushels of wheat, Sclwyn yielded a million and a half, or nearly 36 times as much. But in this district we find the average yield per acre good. To see how we stand with regard to New Zealand generally, and also the leading Australasian colonies, we will draw np a little table which shows the average produce per acre per annum taken as a mean of the six years from 1874 to 1879.

The statistics for barley are not to hand, bnt the average through New Zealand for 1880-1881 was 26 bushels per acre, while the Victorian average for some ten years has been about 21. In the case of wheat we can go farther afield. The average production of certain countries for the latest years obtainable is as follows :

From the above it would appear that no country approaches New Zealand save Denmark, and that only in a single year. Probably the average for a period would be lower. Indeed if we take the very year (1876) when the yield of Denmark was so high, we find that for that year the average New Zealand yield was 31-^. It is for practical men to say whether the high average rale here merely means that it does not pay as yet to cultivate poorer soils.

Taranaki Paiea Wanganui 1 co to •— 1— Ci « TF2«7f. 10 co a v< co Oat*. CO CO Ht>» »— a Barley. CO k-^ Hay. CJ pi* CO CO CO c?\ Potatoes

— ■V8 g )-* •2 \llay. <C $ New Zealand 27 32 1-2 5 Victoria 12 18 1-2 3 New South Wales H 19 1-3 2 South Australia 8 12 1-2 3

Cape of Good Hope, 1875... ... 9 Austria .1876... ...14Belgium ,1866... Denmark .1876... ...27Franco ...16 Russia ... 5 United States .1878... ...13'