Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 14.djvu/613

* NEW ZEALAND. 521 NEW ZEALAND. open land on the lower hills ami plateaus being covered with ferns, among whieli the palm-like tree-ferns, reaching a height of 30 to 40 feet, are prominent. The Xikau palm { IlliopalastyUs sapida) is found in North Island, this being the extreme southern limit of true palms. One of the most common forest trees is the magnificent kauri pine (Daimiuira auslralis) . It yields fine timber and a valuable gum, and has been reck- lessly cut bv settlers. The output of this gum in litOO was 'll, 116 tons, valued at £007,910. FACN-i. The fauna is, like the flora, character- ized by a great paucity of species. There is prob- ably not a single indigenous mammal, the dogs ami rats found by the European discoverers hav- ing been almost certainly introduced by the na- tives. There are few reptiles, and no snakes, but several peculiar lizards. Insects are also few, as are the fresh-water fishes ; and birds form almost the only group of animals that is well represented. There are about 150 species of birds, most of which are aquatic, and nearly all are peculiar to the islands. They include many beautiful foi'ms, pigeons and parrots being espe- cially numerous. The kiwi, a wingless and tail- less bird of the size of a hen, is the sole sur- vivor of a large group of similar birds, including the gigantic moa, which formerly inhabited New Zealand. A considerable number of European forms, both plants and animals, have been intro- duced, wild pigs being very common. Geology and Miner.^ls. North Island is es- sentially volcanic in structure and origin, while South Island consists largely of ancient meta- morphic and sedimentary rocks, slates, granites, and Silurian sand and limestones, with small areas of Jlesozoic and Tertiary strata. Coal is found under a considerable area in South Island, and to some extent in North Island. Gold exists chiefly under the glacial drift and in the sands along the seashore. Silver, copper, tin, anti- mony, manganese, and chrome-iron are also found. Mining. Up to the end of the year 1900 the total mineral product amounted to £75,997,890, of which £57,400.100 was gold. The most pro- ductive gold districts are Otago. which yielded over £22.000.000, Westland. nearly £18,000.000, Auckland, and Nelson. As compared with other Australasian States. New Zealand ranks second in the total gold and third in the total mineral output. The most productive period of gold-min- ing was from 1802 to 187-3, in which period nearly one-half of the whole yield was secured. There was some revival in the industry from 1890 to 1900. The gold exported in 1901 amounted to £1.753.784. The mining of gold by the dredg- ing method has developed extensively in the Chitha River bed and other streams of that dis- trict. Most of the gold from South Island was secured either from this metliod or from hydraulic sluicing. Gold from the Auckland dis- trict was secured from quartz only, as was also much of the Westland product. The cyanide process is being adopted, thus resulting in a greatly increased per cent, of the ore saved. The next most important mineral mined is coal, the total production of which through 1900 was val- ued at £7.088.393. The output has increased steadily from 299,923 tons in 1880 to 1,093.999 in 1900. In 1900 the vield of kauri-tmni (resin) was 11,110 tons, valued at £007,919. The total yield to the end of 1900 amounted to £10,- 329,831. Small quantities of silver and silver- lead, and a few other minerals also, are mined. Agriculti'RE. Agricultiire together with graz- ing is the leading occupation. The climatic con- ditions are more favorable for general agriculture than in any of the States of the Australian Com- monwealth. The rainfall is more adecjuate, and the per acre yield of all crops much greater. The largest farm district is on the east coast of South Island. In 1902 there were in the colony 02,780 agricultural holdings, with a total of 34.911,573 acres occupied (over one-half the total area), of which 20.982,480 acres are under private ownership, the balance being held by the Government. About two-thirds of the total area is supposed to be adaptable to agriculture or grazing. The total area under crops increased from 08,.500 acres in 1861 to 1,044,777 in 1891, and to 1,578,958 in 1900-01. Nearly one-half of the acreage i.s under green crops, mainly tur- nips and rape. The principal other crops in the last-mentioned vear were oats, 449.534 acres; wheat, 200,405; barley, 30,831 ; hay, 68,023 ; pota- toes, 28,524; and maize, 14,232 acres. English grasses grow much better in New Zealand than in Australia, and the acreage sown in grass — 10,- 244,739 in 1899 — was 14 times more than that of the Australian Commonwealth. The ])er acre yield of the artificial grasses is many times that of the natural grasses in Australia. In 1900 there were in addition to the sown pasture land 21,- 857,909 acres of improved land in the occupied holdings that were available for stock feeding. Stock-R.isixg. Probabl.v no other country of similar area equals New Zealand in the ex- tent of its sheep-grazing interests. The number of sheep increased steadilv from 2.701,583 in 1801 to 20,230,829 in 1894, and has since re- mained at a little below this figure. Recent years have shown a rapid increase in the niiniber and a decrease in the size of flocks. Another change has been the tendenc.v to raise sheep for meat rather than for wool exclusivel.v. Both cat- tle and horses ai-e steadil,v increasing in number, the former numbering in 1900 1,250.680 and the latter 260,245. In the same year there were 250.975 swine. In recent years dairying has rapidl.v developed and there is an extensive pro- duction of butter and cheese. The industry is carried on by the factory method through the co- operation of small farmers. MANUF.^CTrRiNG. The number of hands em- ployed in the manufacturing industry increased from 22,095 in 1885 to 25,633 in 1890. and 27,- 389 in 1895. The value of the products increased .still more rapidly, being £9,549.300 in the last- named year. The largest item in tliis amount was frozen and preserved meats, followed by the tanning and wool-scouring products, and the products of saw-mills, grain-mills, clothing and boot factories, butter and cheese factories, iron and brass vorks, TRAN.SPOKTATION AND COMMERCE. In 1902 there were 2235 miles of railway in operation, the total cost of construction being £18.170.722. The prov- ince owns and operates nearly the entire railway system. In 1901-02 the net earnings amovinted to £622.349. In 1901-02 there were 7.350,130 passengers carried, or more than twice the num- ber carried in 1891-92. There are tramwa.y sys- tems in all the principal towns. The extensive insular coast line and many harbors nfi'nrd excel- lent facilities for water transportation from one