The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1912. TARANAKI'S EXPORTS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 137, 28 October 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1912. TARANAKI'S EXPORTS.

From the ports of Waitara, New Plymouth and Patea, Taranaki exported for the year ending June 30, 1912, produce to the value of over and a million and a-half pounds sterling, equivalent to nearly £3O per head of its population. The exports for the whole Dominion averaged about £l9 per capita. Considerable as the provinces exports were, they fell short of the previous year's by £110,187. The season was not as favorable as usual, but one would have thought the high prices ruling for most of our products would have compensated for this drawback. A substantial drop occurred in our dairy produce, namely, £71,000, despite the unprecedented high prices ruling. The quantity, as we surmised in writing a few days ago on the subject, shows a substantial shrinkage, and this, too, in face of the fact that more country is being brought into dairying every year. This shows clearly that the system of farming in the province is- not improving, the land either going back in stock-carrying capacity or there being too many "scrubber" cows retained in the herds—or both. A section of our farmers are adopting scientific methods—testing their cows, improving their herds by the infusion ed new blood, and making sion for wintering in regard both to foocW and shelter. The great majority, however, in the light of the figures that are set out below, must be going steadily back. , This- is a serious condition of things, and augurs ill for the future of the industry in Taranaki. If the industry is to make further headway, the employment of scientific methods must be the rule and not the exception. The trouble is that many farmers are unable to afford the necessary money for purchasing better stock to replace those now doing service. Neither are they able to spend much on stumping, top-dressing, etc., particularly in these times of dear labor. If they chose to sell a portion of their holdings, however, they could effect all these desirable improvements, and bv concentrating their efforts upon the smaller area obtain better results than they are securing under present conditions. Compared with other provinces, Taranaki is fairly closely settled, but there is abundant room still for further sub-division. Prospects for the present season are distinctly favorable. Stock have wintered well, in most parts there is an abundance of feed, and the various factories are now manufacturing more butter or cheese than they were at the same period of last year, added to which prices are unusually high and there is every indication that they will be maintained. The following are the exports from the Taranaki ports for the past three years ending June SO, in each instance:—

This, of course, does not represent all the butter manufactured in Taranaki, for there is not included the produce consumed locally or railed southwards. A good deal of wool grown in Taranaki is shipped from Wellington, as are quantifies of hides, pelts, etc. Fat stock grown in Taranaki also'finds its way to southjern meat works. If particulars of all these could be ascertained the province's would make a far better /showing.

1009-10. Quantity £ Butter, cwt. .. . 105,731 524,970 Oheose, cwt. ... ... 194,614 531,589 Beef, (juarters .. 100.01 145.642 Mutton, carcases 15,115 23,054 Mutton, pieces . 1,737 2.418 Lamb, carcases . IS,416 35,194

Hides, number .. Skins, number .. Tallow, tons Wool, lbs 21,661 25,839 . 116,475 11,753 905 24,038 1,801,994 69,635 Total value £1,394,138 1910-11. Quantity £ Butter, cwt 132,171 657,106 Cheese, cwt 213,269 582,679 Beef, cwt 's 111,586 15&,329 Mutton, carcases .. 16,711 26,448 Mutton, pieces .... 1,816 2,593 Hides, number .... jy 16,708 22,996 Skins, number 21,537 12,973 Tallow, tons 1,259 39,629 Wool, lbs vis,488,528 118,233 Total value Butter, cwt Cheese, cwt Beef, cwt Mutton, carcases Mutton, pieces .. Lamb, carcases . Hides; number .. Skins, number .. Tallow, tons .... Wool, lbs — ¥ £1.0184)46 1911-12 J Quantity £ * 132,171 6,17,166 > 237,789 672,000 60,999 85,848 53,543 43,869 1,063 1,744 45,313 26,620 1,972 2,892 .. 111,537 12,973 716 23,652 3,849,807 144,202 Total value V.....£1,670,966 The following tables Show the exports of the various ports for the past year:— PATEA. Quantity £ Butter, cwt 10,181 98,929 Cheese, cwt 163,808 469,132 Beef, cwt 8,173 11,718 Mutton, carcases '6,341 4,386 Lamb, carcases 7,044 3,879 Tallow, tons 52 1,475 Wool, pounds 583,098 21,076 £610,595 NEW PLYMOUTH. Quantity £ Butter, cwt. 75,484 397,262 Cheese, cwt 73,981 202,868 Beef, cwt 507 '636 Hides, number 216 . 132 Skins, number 3,505 613 Tallow, tons 17 499 Wool, pounds 12,772 476 £602,486 WAITARA. Quantity £ Beef, cwt 52,319 73,494 Mutton, carcases 47,202 39,483 Mutton, pieces, cwt 1,063 1,744 Lamb, carcases 38,269 22.741 Hides, number 1,756 2,560 Skins, number • • 103,388 10.422 Tallow, tons 047 21,678 Wool, pounds 3,253,937 122,650 £294,772 As showing the movement of our main articles of export, viz., butter and cheese, the following figures are of interest. 'BUTTER. Cwt. £ 1909-10 105,731 524,976 1910-11 132,171 657,166 1011-12 85,665 406,191 CHEESE. ' Cwt. ~£ 1909-10 194,614 531,589 1910-11 213,269 582,679 1911-12 237,789 672,000 BUTTER AND CHEESE 1,909-10 1910-11 1911-12 1,056,565 1,239,845 1,168,191