The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 62
Pastoral
Pastoral.
In March, 1891, there were 6,966,218 acres under artificial grasses, being an increase of 441,169 on the corresponding acreage of 1890. Of these 3,250,543 acres had been previously ploughed and, presumably, under grain or other crops, and 3,715,675 acres had not been ploughed, a large proportion consisting of what had been bush or forest-land sown down to grass after the timber had been felled and burnt, or partially burnt.
page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5 page 6New Zealand | 6,966,218 |
New South Wales | 385,504 |
Victoria | 235,241 |
Queensland | 22,252 |
South Australia | 21,431 |
West Australia | 23,344 |
Tasmania | 201,060 |
It will be observed that the area of land under sown grasses is about eight times greater in New Zealand than in the whole of Australia and Tasmania. When compared in size with the colonies of Australia, New Zealand is relatively small—about one-thirtieth of their total size—but when the grazing capabilities are compared, the relative importance of New Zealand is much altered.
Australia is generally unsuitable, owing to conditions of climate, for the growth of English grasses, and the amount of feed produced by the natural grasses throughout the year is very much less per acre than that obtained from the sown grass lands in New Zealand—so much so that it may be stated that the average productiveness of the grass land in New Zealand is probably about nine times as great as that in Australia; so that the land of this colony covered with artificial grass may be considered equal, for grazing purposes, to an area of Australian territory about nine times as great.
Sheep | 18,117,186 |
Cattle | 831,831 |
Horses | 211,040 |
Pigs | 314,644 |
Goats | 9,055 |
Poultry | 1,790,070 |
Ostriches | 179 |
It will be noticed from the decennial export table that wool is still the largest article of export, and with the increase in the number of sheep consequent on the development of the frozen meat trade, this export is likely to considerably increase. A large amount of wool is now used in local manufacture.
Frozen Meat.
The large increase in 1890 in the value of frozen meat exported placed that article in the second place in the list of exports for value. The growth of this export has been almost phenomenal. Ten years page 7 ago the project of sending fresh meat to England was regarded as impossible of fulfilment, and Mr. Haslam's statement that vessels would be able to carry carcasses of 10,000 sheep was considered visionary. The improvements made by him in refrigerating machinery have enabled his prophecy to be more than fulfilled, as vessels are now fitted to carry four and five times the number of sheep he mentioned. 1882 was the first year in which there was any export of frozen meat from New Zealand, the value of the export being then only 19,339l. In 1890 the value of this export had risen to 1,087,617l., representing the carcasses of 1,330,176 sheep, of 279,741 lambs, and beef weighing 98,234 cwts. The greatly improved prices of sheep, caused by the demand for this export trade, has much encouraged the farmers of the colony, and has caused increased attention to be given to clearing and laying down bushland in grass and otherwise improving holdings in order to increase the bearing capabilities of the land. Notwithstanding the large increase in the numbers of sheep exported in 1890 the sheep returns for May in that year gave an addition of nearly 700,000 on the number in May of the previous year, thus showing that, even with the present flocks, there is a reserve that might supply a much larger export than at present, and the further progressive increase in the number of sheep that may be looked forward to from the extension of clearing and improvements gives promise of a future export of a magnitude possibly manifold greater than the present. The markets of the civilised world are, having regard to the growth of population, without a corresponding increased area for food-production, practically unlimited. This export has had the effect of helping the colony through a period of great depression, and next to the production of wool, with which it is now inseparably connected, may be regarded as the most important factor in our well-being.
Dairy Produce.
Butter has always held an important position among the productions of the New Zealand small farmer, but made by different persons and in different ways, it has not been generally suitable for the requirements of the English market, although considerable quantities have been exported to Australia and also to the United Kingdom; but the success attending the efforts made to produce butter of uniform superior character in dairy factories, and the fairly remunerative prices that have been realised for such butter in England, have caused great attention to be given to the increase of dairy factories for the purpose of supplying produce for the English market.
It is only in census years that any returns are obtained of the quantity of butter and cheese annually produced in the colony, and the returns then given by farmers can only be deemed to be estimates, as the majority of them do not keep accounts of their production.
Cheese. | Butter. | |
---|---|---|
lb. | lb. | |
Census year, 1881 | 3,178,694 | 8,453,815 |
Census year, 1886 | 4,594,795 | 12,170,964 |
Census year, 1891 | 6,975,698 | 16,310,012 |
The figures for 1891 include 1,909,759 lbs. of butter and 4,390,400 lbs. of cheese made in factories. During the winter of the present year, a considerably increased supply of New Zealand dairy produce has been placed on the London markets. The quality has been good and the prices obtained such as will pay the producer, thereby giving the necessary stimulus to increased production. New Zealand gives no bonus on butter export as do the colonies of Victoria and New South Wales. With the large and certain market in this country, the colony offers great inducements for capitalists with the necessary knowledge to largely extend this industry.