The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 23
V. Agricultural Development
V. Agricultural Development.
The agricultural development may be tested in two "ways: (1) 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 area alienated, from the foundation of the colony, was 17,692,511 acres. The area of land under cultivation in 1864 was only 382,655 acres, which included under crop 110,532 acres, and in sown grasses 272,123 acres; whilst in 1884 there were no less than 6,391,075 acres under crop and sown grasses — viz., 1,132,241 acres under crop and 5,258,834 acres in grass.
1875. | 1876. | 1877. | 1878. | 1870. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Flour, tons | 636 | 497 | 960 | 4,031 | 1,278 |
Wheat, bushels | 548,095 | 686,059 | 859,795 | 1,701,011 | 2,518,457 |
Barley, bushels | 91,622 | 218,558 | 107,675 | 102,476 | 106,692 |
Malt, bushels | 6,885 | 3,524 | 1,746 | 5,951 | 2,546 |
Oats, bushels | 630,325 | 1,263,957 | 354,694 | 302,776 | 842,649 |
1880. | 1881. | 1882. | 1883. | 1884. | |
Flour, tons | 553 | 3,220 | 10,932 | 6,119 | 3,606 |
Wheat, bushels | 3,120,463 | 3,761,258 | 3,188,621 | 4,897,540 | 2,706,775 |
Barley, bushels | 476,520 | 494,911 | 113,334 | 144,923 | 123,450 |
Malt, bushels | 35,330 | 60,531 | 29,345 | 61,076 | 51,311 |
Oats, bushels | 1,908,132 | 1,499,260 | 979,684 | 1,619,764 | 2,474,631 |
Agriculture is now seeking other outlets: orchards are being planted, tobacco is now produced, and linseed is grown.
£ | |
---|---|
1864 | 24,771 |
1865 | 12,725 |
1866 | 24,319 |
1867 | 16,110 |
1868 | 15,653 |
1869 | 22,338 |
1870 | 18.61 |
1871 | 20,114 |
1872 | 27,373 |
1873 | 44,039 |
1874 | 44,450 |
1875 | 40,046 |
1876 | 49,847 |
1877 | 50,901 |
1878 | 39,074 |
1879 | 35,735 |
1880 | 51,225 |
1881 | 71,328 |
1882 | 114,700 |
1883 | 149,256 |
1884 | 152,471 |
A Forest Department has just been started, and attention is to be directed to the conserving and properly utilizing of the existing forests, and to the creating of new forests. The area of forest lands is about 20,000,000 acres; and of this area about 9,000,000 acres contain useful timber trees.
page 27A large amount of planting has been done, and 5,804 acres planted have been subsidized or aided by Government; and, in addition to this, in the Lake and Maniototo Counties large quantities of trees are raised for distribution in the treeless districts of Otago. There have been almost no manufactures of forest products, save timberware; a little charcoal has been produced, but it is so small as not worth recording. The same danger that has threatened other countries in the treatment of the forests has been felt in New Zealand. Valuable forests necessary for the maintenance of an equable climate have been destroyed to make way for the farmer or stock-raiser. It is hoped that the evils that have resulted in other countries from such a course of procedure will be sufficient to ensure attention being paid to tree-planting, and to make forest preservation more popular in the colony than it has yet been.