The Waikato Times. SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1879.

Waikato Times, Volume XIII, Issue 1055, 29 March 1879, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1879.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. • * * * ♦ Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

Last year, we were unable to compare the agricultural returns with those of the preceding year, to show the steady advancement of the Waikato, inasmuch as the returns were up to then published for the several electoral districts, and for the first time in 1878 for the counties. These now pubLsbed are made up for the several counties, and wo can therefore compare the returns for the one period with those for the other. The progress for the year has been yery satisfactory, and, when we draw a comparison between the advancement of the Waikato aiad that of some Northern districts, most remarkably so. The number of holdings has not so largely increased as the gross amount of land in culti. vation. In Piako, the holdings have increased from 23 in 1878 to 30 in 1879 j in Raglan, they have decreased from 96 to 60 (a misprint, we should imagine); in Waikato, they have increased from 140 to 170 j and in Waipa, from 272 to 288. But, as we have said, the acreage of land under crop, including sown grasses, has increased beyond proportion to the increase of holdings, showing tho growing wealth of individual settlers. Where there were 50,000 acres in Waipa nnder crop in 1878, there are in 1879 58,000 acres; in Waikato, 38,000 acreß as against 23,000; in Piako, 26,000 as against 10,000. The increase is, however, mainly in the land sown down to gras3,and this will doubtless continue to be the case so long as the present scarcity and deamess of labor continue. But little labor is required for the management of sheep and cattle, but to grow crops which can only be sold at a loss after cost of labor and carriage to a market has been deducted would ba an act of simple folly on the part of our settlers, We are not, therefore, surprised to find that wheat growing is not largely entered into. There is a falling off in Waipa and Waikato of some twelve acres in one case and 17 acres in the other, but in Piako, we have 558 acres of wheat grown in this year as agaiast seven Only in the preceding one. The practice of growing green food for cattle is coming rapidly into vogue in the two older settled counties, Waipa and Waikato, a lesseu tought by recent severe winters, and notably that of 1878. Tn Waikato, there are 2,800 acres sown in green oats as against 190 in the preceding year, and in Waipa 408 as against 273. In the cultivation of potatoes, there is a falling-1 off in W aipa, there being 455 acre.? | this year as against 625 acres last < year ; but ;u Waikato, potato cul-' ture has increased from 221 acres to

295 acres, and in Piako from 46 to 57i acre*. Under the head of other crops, Pi&ko and Waipi have shot ahead of Waikato, for Piako allows 1,280 acres this year against 565 acres last year, and Wat pa 1110 acres against 641 acres, while Waikato has decreased from 425 acres in 1878 to 343 acres in 1879. The tuble of land broken up but not under crop would show that Piako has not only wonderfully progressed bat is prepared to continue doiug so, for where last year it had 5000 acres in this state, it has this year 9000. Waipa has 3,325 acres against- 3190 last year and Waikato has fallen off in the quantity of laud broken up but not under crop from 1529 acres to 1117 acres.

It is, however, as a whole, that is, by comparing the total numbers of acres under crop, including sown grasses, of the one year with the other that the real progress is seen, and that as we have shown is most satisfactory. The gross increase of cultivated land in crop for the three Counties, Piako, Waikato and Waipa,, for the year, is 37,639 acres, being the excesss of 122,977 acres in 1879 over 85,338 acres in 1078. Divide thia by the number of holdings in the threa counties, 581, and we have an average increase for each holding of between 04 and 65 acres—a pretty sure indication of the general prosperity of the district.