Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 71

Facts about the Land

Facts about the Land.

Bush land can be selected in May, cleared and sown with grass seed, and stocked the following May.

There are 20 million acres of open well-grassed country in the Middle Island alone immediately available for sheep and the plough.

Twelve million acres of Crown lands are under pastoral occupation, and two millions arc held on settlement conditions.

In February, 1891, there were about 40,000 agricultural and pastoral holdings.

During the last few years the number of freeholders has increased at the average rate of 1,340 per annum.

In 1890 255 companies and individuals held nearly 17 million acres of land.

page 18

Special facilities are afforded for settlement under the co-operative system—12 or more persons forming an association.

Co-operative associations must not hold more than 11,000 acres or less than 1,000.

Thirty-three million acres of Crown land remain for disposal.

Nearly 37,000 acres were taken up on the deferred payment system during 1891.

In 1891 8½ million acres were under crop, including sown grasses, or prepared for cultivation.

The greater part of the land in the North Island has had grass laid down without previous, ploughing.

There are eight times as many acres of agricultural land in the Middle (South) Island as in the North.

Most of the best unimproved land requires clearing, involving considerable labour and expense: this is specially suited to large capitalists.

The soil is so full of plant food that several continuous crops of potatoes and cereals may be taken off with little apparent exhaustion.

The census of 1891 showed 43,777 occupied holdings, excluding Crown pastoral leases and small grazing runs: 24,723 are freehold.

One-tenth of the North Island is mountainous, but, with few exceptions, the altitudes do not exceed 4,000 feet; 14 million acres are only suited to pastoral purposes, being too steep for agriculture.

Middle Island has about 15 million acres of agricultural land, and 13 million acres suited to pastoral purposes.

The North Island produces large quantities of maize, wheat, sweet and ordinary potatoes, beet, garden fruits, oranges, lemons, grapes, olives, mulberries.

The forest lands of the North Island are being converted into grazing runs.

page 19

Potatoes are largely grown and produce heavy crops, frequently eight to ten tons per acre.

Potatoes are expensive to grow, viz., £5 to £6 per acre.

During 1891 1,222 selectors took up 413,409 acres.

April, 1891 census showed that about 12½ million acres were freehold, and nearly 7 million were leasehold.

To small capitalists the fallowing figures will be encouraging:—
  • 11,116 settlers hold from 1 to 10 acres.
  • 8,899 settlers hold from 10 to 50 acres.
  • 5,613 settlers hold from 50 to 100 acres.
  • 6,851 settlers hold from 100 to 200 acres.

There are nearly 25 limes as many acres of sown grass in New Zealand as in New South Wales.

In the North Island the best pasture grasses grow and thrive with no other preparation of the land than the ashes of the burnt timber—no ploughing or previous loosening of the soil are necessary. In less than a year of scattering the seed the land will fatten live to six sheep per acre.

By the new Land and Income Assessment Act of 1891, which abolishes the property tax, there is an ordinary land tax, which is expected to be 1d. in the £; and in addition there is a graduated tax of 1/8d. in the £ where the value of the land is £5,000, up to 1¾d. where the value of the land is £210,000 and upwards. The graduated tax, however, is not levied on improvements. An annual Act must be passed for the purpose of levying this tax.

Turnips rank next in importance to wheat and oats, nearly 500,000 acres being under cultivation.

Where artificial manures are used the yield has been from 15 to 30 tons of turnips per acre.

Three-quarters of a million acres are under grain, half of which are in Canterbury.