AGRICULTURAL RETURNS OF WAIKATO, WAIPA, RAGLAN, AND KAWHIA COUNTIES.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1982, 21 March 1885, Page 2

AGRICULTURAL RETURNS OF WAIKATO, WAIPA, RAGLAN, AND K AW HI A COUNTIES.

Ykvh by year settlement continues to extend over the waste tracts of the counties 1 1, lined above. No penod pusses by without some new block of countiy pacing out of the hands, either of the abm lguul owncn or of the (Ji'iu'ial (Joverninent, intothoseof thatgiadually lnci easing cliws of producing occupants, tin' colonial settlers. Though oflato settlement has not been advancing as rapidly as weshould like to nee it, still we are nev er stationary butcontinue to adv ance, hmvcm nlow t!i • paco may be. Within the oast twelve n.ouths a good few fanu.s have been oi>ened up, and those fanners who had ahead v settled on the land have not bienidle, for the aioa under cultivation, and in crop has. been steadily increasing. Though gi< tin ciops have not proved tint now co of indubitable prosperity which fainitis have lxen led to think, gram growing is nev eitheless on the increase, for as settlement depelopus gram glowing inci eases proportionately. If any proof weie wanting of the persistency with which our fauueis ndheit, to tl>e old line-> of then purMiit, and their dogged determination to live and die in the groove of th<'ir fatheis, whether it may wotk their redemption or effect their nun, nemo better could be offeiod than the fact just quoted. Every jeai we are told thatwtieat is grown at a loss m W.iikat.i : but the fact remains, nev ci thulc«s, that w heat growing is one of tho principal features of our funning operations. Tins year the area of wheat has however, fallen off pretty considerably. Last year wo had about 100,000 bushels, whereas tlun year it has fallen to a little over 70,000 bushels, liut if wheat liiis fallen off, oats make up the deficiency. Last year there were about 50,000 bushels of oats, wherea* this yeai the yield i-> elosa upon 7.j,000 bushels. The aie.i m bailey has also iucieased, the yield for this year being estimated .it nearly '2,000 bushels. Tho estimated piodncc of hay comes to clo-e upon 3,000 tons. Tlieie aie nearly 130,000 acres m gr.is-. or pasture, (iias-i seed has never formed a i<*iy big item in Waikato farming. The pio<'uoo this year in cocksfoot and rye grass combined amounts to only about .V>o bushels, two thirds being cocksfoot. Potatoes have not proved an encouraging crop, fin though very good in some place", the crop, generally speaking, has not come up to thu average. Theiowcro nearly 1200 acres, <uid tho estimated yield in about (i,."> 00 tons. In nuue or Horghum there are about 70 acres and in Iye about 20 acres. Pea* and beans represent an area of about 80 acies. Tho turnip crop of this country has been increasing very much of late year*. This year theio iH a total of close upon 7,000 acres, ami tho crop has been a \riy excellent one. The total acreage in mangolds, beet, carrots, parsnips and onion*, is only 227 acres. No doubt when the undoubted piofltaluVncss of the siigai beet in dustiy is established, and faimcis have taken to grow for the sugar mill, that, and we have every reunon to believe, will before \eiy long be established in out midst, these figures will bo materially alteipd. Hoptt do not form a very largo propoition in our cultivations, nor, as yet, does tobacco. Of tho former then; is only one acre grown in the Ttunalieie district, and of the latter theio •re tivo acres dUtnbuted through the Pirongia, Whnngapu, Maugapiko and Tttuiahcio distiicts. This does not include many littln patches of tobacco growing in private gardens, which would doubt* le.s-< biing the total up to a few tuoro acres. We have every roaMon t > believe th.it before long tobacco growing will fin in a very important item in Waikato farming. The experiinontu of tins year have been mout .satisfactory, and encouraging, and as we huvo a good market almost at our dooru, and a remunerative pi ice, fai mers will not be afraid to launch out on .i mor» extensive Hcalo. Fruit of Lite years has boon receiving very great attention. Every season nialces an addition to tho area devoted to the raising of fruit, and heavy yiolds aro annually obtained from our young orchards and garden*. This year there are close upon 1000 acies of garden and oi chard. Altogether, the entiie area, of cultivations in tho foul couutnes, Waikato, Waipa, Kaglan, and Kawhia is over 150,000 norm, This includeH howh grasaen. In plantations of foroit tre«s thiro *r« over 3000 ncrca.

Some of last year's \\ heat hai not not been disputed of, there being about 2,500 bushels still on hand among the farmers, and about 300 busheh of oat-,.