VICTORIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
Ova colonies have taken to the collection of statistics and the compila- tion of Blue Books, and with something like pride, they report their pro- gress to the mother country. Victoria sends us a return from its Regis- trar-General, Mr. William Henry Archer, showing the extent of land under cultivation, and its produce. There are no less than 13,141 hold- ings, representing the occupation of 3,061,445 acres, but as yet so com- paratively sparse is the population, that only 357,7641 acres are cul- tivated. But over the year 1859, there is an increase of 1608 holdings, comprising 542,2881 acres, of which 58,8041 are now in cultivation. The cultivation in 1860 was thus divided in acres; wheat 107,0781, oats 90,0191, barley 41211, maize 7501, rye and bere 149, peas beans, &c. 3851, potatoes 27,527, turnips 2191, mangel wurzel 3861, beet 8, carrots and parsnips 168, cabbage 1114, bare or summer fallow, 11,1771, cereal grasses, &c. 97,959, rye grass, and lucerne 3841, green forage 9,9884, tobacco, 401, vines 7731, other crops 4511, gardens 50531, and. or- chards 10101. In every item there is an increase except those of barley, potatoes, turnips, rye grass, cereal grasses, tobacco, and gardens. The produce of all this cultivation is also given in bushels-wheat 2,290,9354, oats 2,543,201, barley 97,411, maize 70121, rye and bare 2714, peas, beans, &c. 51974, or a total of 4,946,4711 bushels of food in cereals for biped and quadrupeds. Then in tons we have 48,7341 of po- tatoes, turnips 6151 mangel wurzell 4690, beet 24, carrots and parsnips 7001, cabbage 648, hay 134,6421, onions 1010, and tobacco 387. We have 1,783,025 vines, fruit 45501 cwt. ; wine 13,954 gallons, and 477 gallons of spirits. The items of increase are in wheat 726,143 bushels, oats 382,8431 rye and bere 2063, peas, &c. 365, mangel wurzell 24434 tons, beet 191, carrots and parsnips 1721, cabbage 607, hay 21,3.511, vines in number 789,423, fruit 972 cwt., wine 6214 gallons. and spirits 4041. The items of decrease arc in barley 16,528 bushels, maize 26851, potatoes 59,7321 tons, turnips 719, rye- grass 251-4-t onions 1680 cwt.,
e and tobacco 486.
The population of "Victoria on 31st December last, was 529,933 or 335,558 males, and 194,375 females. The increase by immigration over emigration was 2171, by births 1901, a total of 4072.
The figures from New Zealand are much more elaborate, and the form of their preparation would do honour to Whitehall. They treat of population, aboriginal, and acclimatized-emigration, births, deaths, and marriages-imports and exports, revenue, justice, civil and criminal- gaols and savings banks. When the New Zealander who is, according to the testimony of many high authorities, to sit on a broken arch of London Bridge and contemplate the ruins of St. Paul's arrives, he may be able to reflect on the gradual rise of his own country, and find the proof in a pocket volume of chronological statistics. Here we have the elements, small in amount at present, which are the foundation of a great nation yet in the womb of time. New Zealand had a population, on the 31st of December, of 71,508 persons. The increase over the past year was 12,180, equivalent to 20 per cent when taken centesimally. The occupations of this population are thus divided :-Trade' commerce, and manufactures, 3.05 per cent ; agricultural andpastoral, 7.45; mechanics and artificers, 712; professional-including clergy, lawyers, doctors, teachers, surveyors, and all other educated persons-1-61 ; labourers, 685; domes- tics, 7-61; women, children, and persons of no occupation, 65 71. The reli- gion of the population is as various as at home, but the Church of England leads the way with 51.40 per cent, church of Scotland 19.40, Roman Ca- tholic 11.11, Wesleyans 9.09, Congregational Independents 216, Baptists 2.12, Primitive Methodists 0.70, Hebrews 032, Quakers 012, miscella- neous 2.63. The state education of the colony is creditable, 63.55 per cent both read and write, 11.29 can read, and only 25.16 cannot read.
The laud under cultivation in 1851 was 29,140 acres ; in 1858 it was 140,965 acres; the land fenced in 1853 was 30,470; 1858, 235,488 saes. Live stock of all kinds increased in the same years from 299,115 to 1,727,997 head. Assuming the same ratio of increase since 1858, the present quantities would be, land under crop, 156,940 acres, fenced land, 264,776 acres, and live stock, 1,932,123 head. Equally encouraging is the commerce of the colony ; the imports 597,827/. in 1853, were 1,141,2731. in 1858, but in 1859 they showed an increase of 409,7571. on 1858. Exports were only 303,282/. in 1853, and 458,023/. in 1858, were 551,4841. in 1859. The shipping in tonnage inwards in 1853 was 65,504; in 1858, 90,118; in 1859, 136,580; outwards in tonnage in 1853, 62,891; 1858, 82,293; 1859, 120,392. The revenue of the colony was 149,8201. 8s. 7d. in 1853; in 1858, 341,654/. 158. 2d. ; but in 1859, was 459,648/.- 14s. 3d. The customs duty in 1859, exclusive of an export.duty on gold, increased 16,679/. 88. 5d., and the territorial revenue increased 80,0824 16.. 8d.
These figures speak volumes. We see the gradual formation of empires, and the state of education is such as to encourage the most brilliant hopes for the future. The weary artizan and ill-paid agriculturist has opened up to him the prospect of means of contentment in the most distant of our colonial possessions.
Previous page
