Pastoral and Agricultural Industries.

The pastoral industry is by far the more important, the total area in grass in 1897 being 2,064,938 acres as compared with 78,967 acres under crop. Of the area it crop, 8,978 acres were in wheat, 20,609 in oats, and 29,036 acres in turnips or rape the rest being in potato or other crops.

The following figures will show the average return per acre of grain, for the year 1897: Wheat, 25 bushels; oats, 30 bushels; barley, 29 bushels.

The area in sown grass now exceeds that in any other district in the colony though the area under crop is very small as compared with either the Otago or Canterbury Districts. In 1896 there were 3,746,622 sheep; and in January, 1897, the cattle numbered 223,724, and horses 39,797. The total area in gardens is given as 2,154 acres; in orchards, 3,466 acres; and in plantations, 3,001 acres.