AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8519, 26 August 1907, Page 3

AGRICULTURAL REPORT.

-* A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW. The annual report of the Department of Agriculture states that the past season has been of a varied character. "In the North Island generally," writes the Secretary for Agriculture, "it has been the most bounteous within the experience of settlers, although in some localities there was a superabundance of rain, causing floods, while a part of the Wairarapa district suffered from a deficiency of moisture. In the South Island most of the agricultural districts of Canterbury and North and Central Otago were under the influence of drought for the greater part of the season. The yield of cereals was very detrimentally affected, many crops being fed off by stock as not worth cutting, and others also being grazed owing to the scarcity of grass and fodder crops. It was estimated that of 211,185 acres sown in wheat in these districts 5,000 acres were not harvested, and of 175,731 acres of oats for threshing 21,000 acres had a similar result. The rainfall up to the present time j has been insufficient to enable the desired quantity of land to be prepared for crops, while feed for stock is extremely scarce. The situation is thus causing acute anxiety to settlers. In Southland the season has been most favourable, and settlers are able to afford relief to those in the north by receiving large numbers of sheep for grazing and also by sending supplies of roots to the Jess favoured districts." EXPORTS. I The values of the exports of the principal" agricultural and pastoral products of New Zealand for the year ending June 30th, 1907, were as follow: — £ Wool 7,415,486 Sheepskins 763,664, Meat 3,249,020 Butter and cheese ... 2,199,232 New Zealand hemp ... 899,111 Tallow . . ... ... 533,514 Grain, whole and ground 98,936 Other produce 600,000 £16,859,730 The total value of exports from New Zealand for the year was £19,496,249. CROPS. The areas under the different cereals 'during the year, as compared with the previous year, were as follow: — Wheat, 212,090 acres (decrease 11,481 acres); oats, 623,279 acres (increase 34,023 acres); barley, -36,688 acres (increase 3,774 acres); i maize, 10,729 acres (decrease 2,381 acres); rye, 26,688 acres (decrease .255 acres.) The average yield per acre showed a decrease in every case. The figures for 1906-7 and 1905-6 ■ were as follow: —Wheat, 27.18 and 30.60 bushels; oats, 31.83 and 35.86 •bushels; barley, 31.8 and 34.54 bushels; rye, 32 and 38 bushels; . .maize, 45.83 and 60.39 bushels. ; ; FOODS AND FOOD STUFFS. | There was . undoubtedly a large increase upon the normal consump- i tion of breadstuff during the year under .review,, states the report, due partly to the scarcity and high prices . K)f potatoes and partly to the great ', number of travellers during the International Exhibition period. Consequently the current cereal year (March-February) was entered upon with a very small balance of old stock of wheat, and this year's harvest, diminished as it has been by the effects of drought, will do little ; more than supply requirements until ; ihi next harvest. Naturally under the circumstances the local markets are .peculiarly susceptible to outside influences. , i The exports of wheat and oats ' from the colony during the current ' year will be practically nil. The \ area under potatoes was 31,289 acres, j and increase of 4,455 acres, but the average yield (4.59 tons per acre) [ was the lowest in the decade. There j was a substantial decrease in the { ■acreage and yield of ryegrass and •cocksfoot, owing to the dry season. STOCK. The number of sheep in the colony ■on April 30th, 1906, was 20,108,471, consisting of 2,286,974 merinos, and 17,821,497 British breeds and crossbreeds. The interim returns for this year show an increase of 703,328. The number of cattle on October -31st, 1906, was 1.556,783, as against 1,810,936 in 1905. The number of horses on the same i date was 343,059, as against 326,966 j in 1905. The number of pigs was 242,273 as against 299,727 in 1905. the number of poultry was estimated at 3,191,604. This is the first time such a return has been presented. The great bulk were fowls. DAIRYING. The current market price, the report states, is largely in favour of cheesemaking. The quality of creamery butter and factory cheese has been well maintained, much of the private dairy-made butter, however, showed need for improvement. Probably fresh legislation will be necessary to control the manufacture of this class of produce. The appointment of a qualified man with practical colonial experience to watch in London the interests of producers is strongly advocated by the Dairy Commissioner, and is to be recommended. The establishment of a dairy school is now within measurable distance. On Mr Singleton's return the selecting of a site and the erection of the buildings will no doubt be taken in hand. The inspection of all dairies may also be said to have been inaugurated. It is not anticipated that the registration wi'l be undertaken in the ensuing season; but a number of additional inspectors will be appointed, and dairymen will have time to put their places in order before registration actually comes into operation. EXPERIMENTAL. The operations at the various experimental farms and stations have 'been more in the direction of improvement than, experimental; still, •a number of interesting and instruc-

tive experiments have been carried out. With the exception of the Moumakaki Farm, which has been established for some years, the farms are more or less in the embryo stage.