AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

Southland Times, Issue 1562, 9 April 1872, Page 5

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

■ . •> — (P'OtTTHLAND iIMES, April 2.) The Superintendent-Collector, of, Agricultural Statistics for the Province has supplied the Otago Daily Times with an official- return, showing the area and quantity of the crops in the various electoral districts of the province, omitting the districts of the city of Dunedin and Invercar^ill, f»r which the returns are nil. From this return we find that the total number of holdings in the province is 3,663,- and the extent of land broken up, but not under crop, 31,366 acres. In wheat, sown for grain only, there were 33,660| acres, the estimated gross produce being 881 225 j bushels. There were 9,369J acres sown in oats for green food or hay, and 71,33£H acres for grain, the gross produce of the latter beins estimated at 2,097,f)29 babels. In barley, the number of acres sown for grain only was 3,323, and the estimated gross produce is S9, LO3 bushels. la sown grass, there ware 8,320f acrfs in hay, the estimated yield of which is 6,922 tons. The breadth laid down in permanent artificial grass (including the land in hay previously referred to), is 146,(J29f acres. There were 3,63 )| acres planted with potatoes, the estimated gross produce of which is 13,197f. tons. In other crops, not specified, the number of acres is set down at 6,565i ; making the total number of acres under crop 274,5174 The next matter dealt with is the quantity of last year's crop remaining on band when the forms were filled up. This is stated to be as follows : — Wheat, 22,169 .bushels ; oats, 213 ; 973£ bushels; and barley, 12,4^5 bushels. The South land district is divided into the three sub-districts of Mataura, Hivertoo, and | Wallace, and, as we are more particularly interested in the returns from these districts, we will state them s£[MrAte)y. (

In the Matanra district, the number of holdings is 319 ; in the Eiverton district 309, and in the Wallace district, 45, making a total of 673. The extent of land broken up but not under crop is as follows : — Mataura, 1643| acres ; Riverton, 3919 acres; Wallace, 258| acres; total, 5821 acres. The number of acres in wheat and the estimated yield are, Mataura, 429| acres, 1 1,094 bushels ; Rivertdn, 14S9£ acres, 46,3 L1& bushels; and Wallace, BG^ acres, 2535 bushels ;the total being 2005 acres, and 59,940| bushels respectively. In oats there were in the Mataura district, 4200| acres, the estimated gross produce being 112^209 bushels ; Eiverton, 7645f acres and 141,144 bushels; Wallace, 262^- acres and 8027 bushels ; total, 12,108f acres, and 261,380 bushels. In the Mataura district there were only 16J acres sown in barley, the estimated yield of whii-h is set down at 487 bushels ; in , the Riverton district there were 6il| acres, the yield being computed at 19.011 1 bushels; and in the Wallace district Hi acres, a yield of 465 bushels being calculated upon ; the totals showing 669i acres and 19,963 bushels respectively. The particulars under sown grips are as follows : — Mataura, in hay, 772 acres, estimated produce, 369 tons ; Kiverton, 48l| acres, 568| tons ; Wallace, 1968£ acres, 24^ tons ; totals, 322 1| acres, and 96H tons respectively. In permanent artificial grass (including land in hay), there are in the Mataura district, 24,366 Jacres; Riverton, 7158^- acres ; and Wallace, 2259£ acres ; making tosether a total of 34,085 acres. Under the heading of potatoes the return shows as follows : — Mataura, 286^ acres, the estimated gross produce being 16371 tons ; Riverton, 250i acres, and 950 tons ; and Wallace, 42£ acres, and 203 tons, thus making the total supply of this useful esculent appear to be 2790£ tons. In other crops (not specified) there are in the Mataura district, 1681£ acres ; Riverton, 334J acres ; and Wallace, 52f acres. The total breadth under crop in the Mataura district is 32,485| acres, in the Riverton district, 18.4 13f acres, and in the Wallace district, 3289 £ acres. The quantity of last year's crop remaining on hand when the forms were filled up 'is stated to be — Mataura, 166 : bushels of wheat, 27,460 bu3hels of oats, and 1121, • bushels of barley ; Riverton, 1458 ..bushels of wheat, 19,493 bushels of oats, and 3115 bushels of barley ; Wallace, 100 bushels of wheat, and 440 bushels of oats.