The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 62
Agricultural
Agricultural.
Acreage of Land in Crop. | Acreage of Land broken up, but not under Crop. | Acreage of Land in Sown Grasses. | Total Acreage of Laud in Cultivation. | |
---|---|---|---|---|
New Zealand | 1,285,768 | 210,509 | 6,966,218 | 8,462,495 |
New South Wales | 872,344 | 260,627 | 385,504 | 1,518,475 |
Victoria | 2,031,935 | 385,572 | 235,241 | 2,652,748 |
Queensland | 224,993 | 14,625 | 22,252 | 261,870 |
South Australia | 2,093,515 | 534,152 | 21,431 | 2,649,098 |
Western Australia | 69,676 | 52,356 | 23,344 | 145,376 |
Tasmania | 157,376 | 158,738 | 201,060 | 517,174 |
This table shows the great superiority of New Zealand from an agricultural point of view. The yield per acre, given in the table, is the average yield for a period of ten years.
It will be observed that the oat crop in New Zealand comprised nearly 63 per cent., and the area under oat crop 56 per cent., of that for the whole of Australasia.
Turnips.
There was in 1891 a much greater quantity of laud sown with turnips and rape than in 1890. The low price of grain has caused greater attention to be given to sheep feeding, and as one of the results there were 402,184 acres under turnips and rape in 1891, against 352,903 in 1890, an increase of 49,281 acres. The facility with which root crops are grown is a most important factor in the future development of the pastoral products of the colony.
Fruit.
17,047 acres were returned as being in orchards in 1891, an increase of 1276. The success of the attempts that have been recently made to place fruit in a good saleable condition on the English market has given encouragement to cultivators, and fruits are expected in the not far distant future to take an important place in the list of New Zealand exports. During the recent season a large number of cases of apples have been sent to this market from Now Zealand. In the north of New Zealand semi-tropical fruits, such as oranges, lemons, olives, and figs, grow well.