The Waikato Times. TUESDAY, JUNE 18 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 934, 18 June 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

TUESDAY, JUNE 18 1878.

wniir—"»" ...—.- -.. - . . —, Equal and exact justice to all men, Oi' -whatever etate or persuasion, religious or political. * * * * * Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, i Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

In another column we givo in tabular form the agricultural statistics of the BaglaD, 'Waipa, and Waikato Counties as published in the New Zealand Gazeite. Since the tablereferred to was in type, we have received a later Gazette containing the Piako returns ; which we give as 'follows : —No. of holdings 36, of which 28 are freehold, 4 rented and 4 part rented and part freehold. There are 5,187 acres broken up, but not under crop ; 7 acres sown with wheat for grain only, the crop being estimated at 70 bushels ; of oats for green food or hay 463 acres, and for grain 33 acres, the estimated gross produce of which, is 1,001 bushels ; of barley 14 acres were sown for an estimated gross produce of only 30 bushels, and 46 acres of potatoes were estimated to yield 166 tons. There were in other crops 565 acres, giving a total of acres under crop exclusive of land under grasses, 1128; of sown grasses there were 336 acres in hay, estimated to yield 262 tons ; in grass, where the land had been broken up (including the 336 acres for hay) 2,021 acres, and of grass sown lands not previously ploughed 7,689 acres.

. Returning to last years statistics we liiul no mention made of Piako, which was included in tlio Waikato re l .vr is. Now ihnt the two arc given scperately it would be extremely difficult to compare this year's returns for Waikato with last. To take the iirst two items, Last year the number of holdings in Waikato was set down as 20U, this year it is only 105 ; add those of Piako to it and we have 201,0r nearly the same as represented conjointly in last years tables, and probably the number of holdings in each county

is much the ssmo as last year, and taken together could be fairly compared with theroturn of this ycir. But not/so in the next item, No. of acres broken up but not under cultivation. List year these for both Pinko and Waikato Counties were given as 2,89(5 acres, but in this year's returns we find only 1529 acres of such land for Waikato and 5,187 acres for Piako To compare the Waikato County returns with the Waikato returns of last years' table would be manifestly useless and unfair to Waikato and vunfair to Piako; tuken together however, they show a marked progress. The grass lands of the conjoined counties are this year 31,802 acres as against 25,557 last year; while the total of acres under crop this year are as 2710 acres against 1076 last year. The Waipa and Raglan statistics are of course more capable of comparison, though even there a few returns the other side the Waipa arc included now in Raglan instead of Waipa. N«vertheh»i, Waipa thus handicapped will bear the comparison of this year with last. The number ot holdings last year was 313. This year it is 3*29; land broken np bub not under crop is now 3190 as agaiust 3009 acres last year. The quantity of land sown in wheat has increased from 250 to 370 acres. In oat culture there is a falling -off. Last year 422 acres were sown for green food, and 429 acres for grain, but in the present returns we fiud only 273 acies for the former) and 157 acres for the latter crop. Barley does not seem a favorite crop in any part of the Waikato district. Last year the returns for Waipa show only, 12 acres, aad this year siill less, namely, 6 acres, while all that Waikato County grows is 7 acres. Yet much ot the land, about Cambridge especially, is essentially barley land, warm light soil, easily worked and naturally drained. Such land should produce the best of barley, and malting barley too. If the samples giowu here have not been fib for milting it has nob been the fault of the land but of the farmer, a want probably of evenness in tilth and manuring which has caused a second growth that has rendered it unfit for the malster. The attention of settlers is every ye«u' being more directly brought to the consideration of turnip culture and a rotation of crops. Then perhaps \vc shall find barley take its place as at home succeeding the turnip crop, and forming a very important feature in the course. The statistics for 187G show the cultivation of 458 acres of potatoes, as against 625 in 1877; in hay, we have 2674 acres in 1876, and in 1877 only 1518 acres, but in grasses, inclusive

of land in hay, 48753 acres in IS7B against 46,1] 4 acres the preceding year. There is an increase too in other directions, probably carrots, mangolds, turnips, &c, for tiny year under the head of " in other crops/' wo find for Waipa. G4l acres as against 147 acres last year. As we have said in entering into a comparison of the Waipa returns for List year with this, the comity is under a disadvantage. Last year there were no seperate returns as now, for Raglan, which were then included partly in JTranklin and partly in Waipa In another year it will be possible to compare the returns with those now before us, and to obtain more reliable information as to the yeai's progress each district ha 3 made.