DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3011, 7 October 1908, Page 7

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.

ANN-DIAL REPORT. The sixteenth annual report- df the 'Department of Agriculture was [presented to Parliament on Monday altemoon. The introdairtory chapter by the Secretary for Agriculture, Mr J. D. Ritchie, under date of last July, •points out that the number of holdings over one acre in extent increased by 1,029 during the year. (This increase is slightly 'less than "the average increase of the 'last eight years, for in that period the total increase has been 10/581). The increase is due both to subdivision of large estates and to settlement of Crown lands. The report states that the area ;under occupation increased during the year, by°ls's;S(Ts acres. ■•But there was a { much greater increase in the area L actually cultivated namely, an ■ increase of -d1'5.,514 acres. When the Secretary 'goes on to ret fer to the total proceeds of the farmefforts of the Dominion, he gets big figures. He estimates the total value of New Zealand's agricultural, pastoral, dairy and hemp uroducts for the vear ended September 30th, 1307., at £25,000/000,'' of; which £l7/000., 475 worth was sexported. The farm produce used locally was therefore worth £7.,#99.,525. The wool used locaMy weighed 6,000,000lbs. The sheep and lambs used locally numbered 2,250/000. From' these figures it would appear 'that New Zealanders (including babies): eat 2| sheep or lambs each .every year, and wear out Gibs of wool. The actual consumption ot beef, pork, etc, are not stated, but the report estimates that ''the consumption of grain, butter, cheese, and other products is also probably greater per head of the population than in any other country.''' The •exports other than farm products being only estimated at £2/687/098, at follows that the farm products are 86 35 per cer.t. of the whole of New Zealand's exports. The total exports increased on the year by £2,132/723, and the farm produce •exports by =£2,030,397. The Secretary states that: "On the whole the harvest been well up to the average yield per acre. The area in wheat, however., was greatly circamseribea, owing chiefly to dry weather during the ploughing aid sowing period, and also to the general trend in the agricultural districts towards sheep-farming, the legislation regarding the'import duty on wheat having little or no effect." The prolific lambing of I #O6 was ©seeded in 1907, the average increase being 68 per cent, for merinos and 89 per cent, for other classes. There was a low mortality, and a reduced slaughter, especially of wethers, and under thesecircumstances the increase recorded in the official leturns shows that "the removal of the aheep rate ; has not been followed by such an in- j crease in the sheep returns as to sup- ] port the suggestion that the tax had been to any considerable extent evaded." "The quality of the iambs exported has fluctuated with the conditions of weather and feed. The early (milk) lambs were good, after weaning came a period of light weights and poor condition; and after the rains had revived the pastures and foddercrops the quality wss excellent: hut at this period the export was almost I entirely from the South Island. If f the North Island is to contribute to the lamb-export trade in proportion to the dimensions of its flocks, the cultivation of suitable food for fattening must be systematically under- t taken. • i "No improvement in the quality of J the mutton exported can be recorded, J nor can any be expected while the j best of the stock are sent away as j lambs. Some improvement is desir- j able in the breed of the sheep in I those districts, particularly in the j North Island, where the export nee- I essarily consists chiefly of mutton, j The demand of the British consumer is for a small, well-fed carcase, and the difference in price between such and heavy coarse sheep has been very marked throughout the year. "The high price of breeding-ewes for several years past has encouraged a good many farmers to give some attention to breeding their own ewes instead of depending upon purchasing them at the autumn sales. I If this movement continues, and ex-, tends, and is wisely conducted it will result in a very desirable improvement in farm flocks.. In the past too much heed has been paid to passing fancies in sheep-breeding; first one breed and then another being preferred, and none adhered to, the consequence being seen in the mongrel character of many of the small flocks. This can only be remedied by culling the standing ewe flock to as uniform a standard as possible, eliminating every ewe with any trace of down cross, or which has borne a lamb to a down ram, and using thoroughly wollbved rams of uniform character. "The number of sheep and lambs (hoggets) which are in course of fattening in almost all parts of the Dominion has never before been so large at this periud of the year. Pastures and roots made a marvellous recovery from the effects cf the summer's drought and the large area of oats, barley, rye, etc., sown after harvest made rapid growth, while the winter has been, on the whole, 'mild and open. There i 3 promise of j a good lambing, so that prospects for j the crsuing season are highly en- | couraging." j "Beef, in quarters, has maintained its excellent quality but in quantity it has been closely approached by , 'boned' beef. The latter article has been subjected to vigilant inspection at Home, as well as in the meatworks where it i-i slaughtered and packed, and r.o charge of being diseased has (July) been brought against it. Complaints are made, however, of the method in which some of the consignments are packed, as tending to an unsightly appearance of the meat. Legs and pieces of mutton continue to be largely exported. The nigh price of pork throughout the Dominion and a decline in the' London values have caused a decrease jn exports. "A small quantity of carcases of veal has been consigned to the London market, but the experiment has not had encouraging results. It is stated, however, that for veal of suitable weight and quality, a. rerocket is open,"