NEW ZEALAND HARVEST.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 192, 19 February 1887, Page 8

NEW ZEALAND HARVEST.

TitE grain harvest in New Zealand is practically ovor, and the result is rather above the aveiago. From 170,000 acres of wheat loud, the estimated return i* rather above fivo millions of bushels, and the available supply of o*t* wiii be folly twelve millions of bushels. Kxoerience shows that; this will leave about 1,250,000 of bushels of wheat and 8,000,000 of buehels of oats ovor and above the consumption of tho oolony itself, and therefore available for export. The result ia interesting to this colony, both from a practical and theoretical point ot view. Our practical interest arises from the fact that the grain not required in JNew Zealand is likely to be wanted here ; and that it will be supplied cheaply because we are tho nearest market. The season has indeed been an exceptionally favourable one for the growth of grain in New South Wales : but the lato succaeaion of heavy rains aucl floods hava done much to lessen if not wholly to do away with this advantage. Tho noede of our population for food cannot. be far shore of six million bushels for thityear, while probably from threo-quirtors of a million to a million bushels will be required for seed. Judging from past ex£.ori ence, and allovirsrthat theiaint. ha\eucarlv served to equate tho production ot this year >\ ifch the average ot other yoars, wo shall have «*iown at least thiee million? c." bu 'hoiof wheat less thau we snail require- In ieaotct of cats, v. o ha/c never been L v^o producer-* of that grain, our climate bein^r apparently uneir.table, and it nn\ bo loir. a that the lasts ct much of tho mauc ciou-, owing to the Hoods, will make i' of mcue than usual iropoitanco that wo phoul'l ht.ve a largo a»ui che^p supply rcv.dily bailable. Thus fioni a practical iui.it of vit'W, ir is a nntior ot great iu*c>o=r Io thi? coins)}, -nui one i u which ,-}' OpO p. ~. ipj?oiiably copg'* ttii'^/c herstli, tlvxt JNcw J'.a'aud will h ivo a cvn sidci'iblo rur; Ir-i of trraui io -oil whuh 2-ew South NY.Vies will icqui'o to ba\ At t\A? lucn^ni: tht theoie ica ! i-.fe^'-r of there i ic"' is dmc^t jz -. we". In fragul, a- c>.'o. in cotit-sf b^t^ev" Fiettiar..' ana Pro'cc iv '>, -r. \ .>') )1 u • tration ci£ tho pnic'ical uoski'iLt ot tlie sy-teuiu as thi-» atioid-, i:- ot much im poitancß. Tlio outcry of to.i o ct i\i riumers i ; for pram duties- for rho i". petition of a corn lav, in this neu ciu"tiy t" encourage and sustain tho ftiimr;" V»]n; i-! wanted U, of couise, somcthmi, ' b ta • t'al other\\>e no pivtit would bo ciouvoii ■by the fori^ci'3 h\m i!il aijangcni n' If. then, t'i'.:htecnp2uce a bn-hel ii 1 } o-ta as a ou'v (dvr Ic^r- than tui? v.oni^ nit fiaritfy tl." 1 f<\rtr.ci ') <^n i'npor L dv J ea: thl? j r car, v.'oat w v.v be the n >ult : Im -^o nrst placo to uiu^tbave -om? tliic ? niulhnof bushels of v. he^t \\ t;i( il.i 1 . mu hi>o no! grown, and thl- ■ssould cost u~, ov Ini: to our tax, jus*. £22.5,000 more tha'i it otherwise voulq huvc dona. In other word-, neiily & quartei ot a irilhun of mnne\ would bi directly levicJ en vhs brsau the people eat outsida ot v.bA it need have co-t. B." this is not all. Tf a object of le >in'j: thitaxis to raise the price of the wheat wo grow ourseivo?. and aa a con^eqneneo tl-.e consumeis ot" broad would pay halt a mii'iou of money for the bread this jear, -v. inch but for pcotection they need not p:»\ . This applies not to wheat alons. The iui port duty on cat' would swell tao bill against the consumers of this colony pvo bably to as much a^ain ; and when barley i^ also taxed, and a special import i» levied on potatoes, it will be apparent t\at tho roault of compliance with the modust requests of the Clarence Biver farmers would be that at least a milUcn sterling would this year be directly added to the txpeudifcure of the consumers of Kew South Wales to encourage apiculture : or, in othe r words, to subsidise the farmer.-, who eve-i tliou could not supply our wai,t-, or cctrpete with the agricultural products of New Zealand in h6r own special lines. — "Svdne\ Evening News."