THE PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS OF NEW ZEALAND (From The Field of June 26th, 1886.)

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2205, 26 August 1886, Page 3

THE PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS OF NEW ZEALAND (From The Field of June 26th, 1886.)

At tha eighth ordinary inoeting of the present session of the Statistical Society, an interesting paper on " The Progress of New Zealand," by the Premier of the colony (Sir "Robert Stout, K.C. M.G.I, was read by the Agent-General (Sir ¥. Dillon Bell). The author, after reviewing the progress of this colony for the twenty years from 1864 to 18S4, in respect of population—including therein education, morals, and religion— trade and shipping, and mineral development, spoke of the pastoral development. He remarked that some said that tlii.-s could not now be termed the pastoral era of Nmv Zealand, and yet New Zealand largely depended upon its pastoral production". In 1864 the total amount of wool exported was 16,691,6661b, Avhile in 1884 there wore 81,130,0181b expoite-J. The number of sheep had increased from 4,1)37,273 to 14,056,266, the number of cattle from 249,7(10 to 700,000, the number of horses from 49,409 to 170,000, and the number of pigs from 01,276 to over 200,000. There Lid been a great change also m reference to the mode of denlmg with pastoral pursuit.-. Before 1864 pastoral tenants were mainly leaseholders, paying a varying rent, accoidjng to their tenure and situation in the colony, for the permission to graze their sheep on Crown lands. There were still millions of acros held on pastoral tenure, thcro being 11,384,603 acr«<. But sheep and cattle were now fed on freehold land, and this especially in the districts of Canterbury, Hawk'c's Bay, and Wellington. In Otago there were more sheep fed on Crown lands than on freehold lands But there had grown up, in connection with pastoral an well as with agricultural pursuits, the. export of frozen meat, and that had encouraged the rearing of sheep on freehold lands that weie formerly occupied for grain raising. The agricultural development might be tested in two ways— (l) by the area of land alienated from the Crown, and (2) by the area brought under cultivation. The area of land alienated in 1864 was 7,759,954 acres ; in 1884 the aiea alienated, from the foundation of the colony, w.is 17,' ; 92,511 acre-. The area of land under cultivation in 1864 was .inly 382,(555 acres, which included under crop 110,532 acres, and in sown Kt-n^ew 272,123 acres; whilst in ltftS4 there were no less than 6,391,075 acres under crop and sown glasses — \iz., 1,132,241 acres under crop, and 5,258,834 acres in grass. Then it might be tested by its pioducts. In 1864 there were exported scarcely any agricultural products and much of the. food supplies were imported ; but in 1884 they exported 2,706,775 bushels of wheat, valued at 6436,728; 128,450 bushels of barley, at a value of £25,138; 51,311 bushels of malt, valued at £14,665 ; and 2,474,613 bushels of oats, at a value of £267,286. They also exported £33,324 worth of flour, £53,53(5 worth of potatoes, and £254,059 cwt. of frozen meat, at a value of £345,0110. The valuft of hides px ported in 18(54 was £11,972 ; in 1884, £38,199. In 1864 £1865 worth of tallow was exported, as against £234,829 in 1864. During the last year, through the fall in the price of wheat and the export of frozen meat, the export of grain had somewhat decreased. In proof of the above statistics some tabular statements were given, and Sir Robert, Stout then proceeded lo state that agriculture was now seeking other outlets ; orchards were being planted, tobacco was now produced, and linseed was grown. Treating the forests as a. branch of agriculture, it might be noted that the export of timber had largely increased. A forest department had fust been starred, and attention was to bo directed to the conserving and properly utilising the existing forests, and to the creating of new fori-»N. The area of forest lands was about 22 million acres, and of this area about 9 million acres contained useful timber trees. A large amount of planting had been done, and 5804 acres planted had been subsidised or aided bv Government ; and, in addition to this, in the Like and Maniototo commies large quantities of trees were raised for distribution in the treeless districts of Otago. There had been almost no manufactures of forest products, save timber ware ; a little charcoal had been produced, but it was s > small as not to be worth recording. The same danger that threatened other countries in the treatment of the forests had been felt in New Zealand. Valuable forests necessary for the maintenance of an equable climate had been destroyed to make way for the farmer or stock-raiser. It was hoped that the evils that had resulted in other countries from such a source of procedure would be sufficient to insure attention being paid to tree olantiug, and to make foiest preservation more popular in the colony than it had yet b^en.