VICTORIAN AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

Southland Times, Issue 1268, 21 June 1870, Page 3

VICTORIAN AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

(From the Melbourne SeraU, May 23rd.) The agricultural statistics for 1869-70, published in Friday's Gazette, show an increase on the previous year of land under tillage of 114,669 acres, making: a total of 827,534. Of this area 288,514 acres were under wheat, and yielded 19*8 bushels per acre, or 3*5 bushels more than in 1868-9. Oats covered 144,79 L acres, and gave 26 bushels per acre, or nearly 7 bushels per acre more than the previous year. 41,211 acres produced a potato crop of 3*l tons per acre, against 2*2 tons in 18689. There were 140,435 acres under hay, giving I*6 tons, against I*l tons in the former year. It is satisfactory to find in these returns that farmers are beginning to realise the importance of a rotation of crops^ there being an increase in all descriptions of t green crops over the years 1868-9. Such a system, if carried out throughout the colony, will enable farmers to calculate with greater certainty upon a return for their industry ; for, besides the relief it is to the land not to be called upon season j after season to produce cereals, the \ dividing the risk between .grain and root and green crops assures the farmer a return upon at least one investment of his capital and labor. The total quantity of wheat grown in 1869-70 was 5,697,056 bushels against 4,229,228 bushels the previous year, or nearly eight bushels per head, the population numbering 715,600 on the 31st March last. Of land under vines there are 4938 acres, or an increase of nearly 10,000 acres on the previous year. The production of wine for the years 1867-8 is approximately given as 577,287 gallons, or an increase of 88,740 gallons on that of 1866-7. The statistics, being made up before the year's vintage, are, of course, always twelve months behind. On that account they are none the less interesting, although they fall far short ia their estimate of the quantity of wine produce, for the reason that a very large quantity is made for private consumption by those who have small vineyards, which are necessarily lost sis*ht of in these returns. In some parts of the (3-eelong district, for instance, there are private gardens where the production is at the rate of 1000 gallons per acre. It is not a little curious to find in these statistics that the freehold land in occupation is less by 34,707 acres than in 1867-8, while the number of holdings have increased from 29,218 acres to 30,376.