HARVEST NOTES.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1062, 28 January 1884, Page 2

HARVEST NOTES.

[from our tbaelltng reporter.] As your readers are unfortunately only ■ too well aware, the vio'ent storm that 1 passed over the district on Thursday, the ] 17th inst., was followed by a solid week’s i cold wet weather, with such downpours of i rain as are rare y witnessed in these parts except during the worst week of our usually fine and mild winters. Those only who haVe visited the parts of the district over which the storm raged with the greatest violence, can form any true conception of the amount ofdamige done in the brief space of half an hour. From personal observations and information to hand from various sources it will, unfortunately, be inside the mark to state that LIO,OOD will not more than cover the damage done by the storm in the districts immediately surrounding the Ashburton township. On the Kaiapoi reserve, near Sherwood, 10,000 acres of wheat that promised a good yield, has been very badly damaged, and Mr J. T. Brown, who has a large area under wheat in the same district will be a very heavy loser. Mr Woolley also has suffered great loss, aud out of 200 acres of crop he does not anticipate cutting more than thirty acres. As already reported, the greatest damage was done in the Winchmore and Ashburton Forks districts, From the Winchmore homestead down to Digby’s b idgo, where the crops were previously looking in splendid condition, the effect of the storm was very destructive. Mr Manson had a very fine crop of pearl wheat opposite his house ; but the grain has been almost totally destroyed. A good paddock of oats close to Mr Stitt's residence was also badly damaged. From the road side through the Ashburton Forks dis trict the effects of the storm are not very apparent, but a closer examination of many of the paddocks reveals the serious loss that many of the grain growers will suffer, especially Messrs Pearce, Sargent, Friaby, Gorabie, Fast, Green, Mclntyre and Knox, all of whom were looking forward to heavy yields. The damage done was not confined to the cereals, for in one instance a farmer lost a number of valuable sheep, whilst fruit suffered, and the ‘destruction amongst the feathered tribe, including fowls and small birds was wholesale. Much sympathy is felt for those farmers who have suffered such imparable injury through the violence of the storm, as their prospects of a good harvest were very bright and they were looking forward to recover themselves from the loss sustained through the unfavorable weather that prevailed during the harvesting of last year’s crop. Just a week from the date of the storm the weather fairly broke, and as soon as the sun shone out reapers and binders were at work in many parts of the district. Notwithstanding the severity of the storm in the localities mentioned above, the crops generally in other parts appear to be none the worse, and so far rust has not made its appearance. Round Temuka, Winchester and Geraldine fanners have been busy cutting the oats, and these, as well as the wheat, are in most cases l icking very well indeed. Close to Winchester there is a paddock of wheat in which smut has made its appearance, but generally speaking all the cereals south of the Rangitata promise a yield quite up to the average. From the Hinds, and through ( the Winslow, Willowby and Longbeach districts, the crops are rapidly ripening. In the Wakanui district there are some splendid crops of both wheat and oats, together with a few acres of barley here and there. Most of the oats are nov ready for the reaper, and the farmers were busy cutting on Friday and Saturday. The rain, however, which fell during the niaht and has continued through the day will put a stop to further proceedings till there is another break in the weather. Had the weather continued fine during the week harvest operations would have been pretty general. Notwithstanding all the drawbacks up to the present, the harvest prospects are not all discouraging, and for the sake of the farmers and the good of the country in general, it is to be hoped the bulk of the grain will be stacked and] threshed out in a fair marketable condition.