Pasturage and Crops.

Below a certain level, the mountainous and hilly regions, and the high upland country in the western and northern part, are covered by native grasses, with as admixture of English forage-plants where the character of the soil and other circumstances are favourable.

The pasturage, which is very suitable for sheep-farming, is taken full advantage of by the pastoral tenants of the Crown, and is used to some extent by freeholders. The light stony portions of the plain also contain native grass lands, well adapted to merino sheep.

The lower hills, downs, and better kinds of plain-country have been widely cultivated, and have proved well fitted for the production both of cereals and of grasses.

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The chief crops grown are wheat, oats, barley, turnips, rape, clover-and grass-seed; while amongst other crops produced are maize, rye, peas, and beans.

Of the cereals, wheat is the most largely grown, and was for many years a large item of export. In the season 1896-1897 the area under crop was 174,579 acres, estimated to yield an average of 21 bushels per acre, or 3,666,159 bushels in all, equal to nearly two-thirds of the whole yield for the colony.

Oats also are very successfully grown, the figures for the same period being 130,113 acres, estimated to yield 3,122,712 bushels; or an average of 24 bushels per acre, or nearly one-third of the total yield for the colony.

Barley of superior quality is also produced, the figures being 10,929 acres, 327 870 bushels: average per acre, 30 bushels, or over two-thirds of total yield. Grass-seeds are abundantly grown, cocksfoot mainly on the splendid Banks Peninsula country, and rye throughout the land district.

Hay was grown on 49,661 acres.