AMONG THE CROPS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1771, 20 February 1888, Page 2

AMONG THE CROPS.

Starting from Ashbncton, and going towards the sea, the first crops noticed are thoae of Messrs Chalmers Bros., wko have some splendid paddocks of Tuscan wheat that will average 50 buahela of golden grain per acre when threshed, the grain having bef n safely stacked without a drop of rain since it waa oat. This lust remark will apply to moat of the grain crops In tha Wakannl and Seafield districts, except la those oaaoH where the farmers have ran the risk of threshing from the Btook, a praotioe that has its advantages perhaps, aa regards cheapness and saving m labor, bat it cannot be said to add to the good name of a district for grain growing, as farmers and millers are unanimous Iv placing a higher value on grain that has matured In the stack bdfore threshing. So hr, this year has been yery favorable to tha stook threshers, bat the praotioe should be put a Btop to by all who can do so, and the windy weather now experienced, if followed by rain to any extent, will give a large amount of extra labor m re-Btooklng, as great numbers of atooks hare been blown over this season... some paddooks having the appearance of never having been stooked at all. Mesars Harrison, D.Ooohrane, Jamleson, andM. Millar, have heavy crops of grain, principally wheat., the Tuscan variety largely predominating this season In the Wakanat district, this being partly oansed by the very wet wintfir, delaying the sowing of winter wheat, till the season boo»me too late for it, so spring wheat had to be vown instead, m many oases turning out grand I crops, both of grain and straw. Mr Wm. Ooohrane suffered by flood water to snob an extent that a portion of his land had to be left uaoropped for the season, and some that waa sown oame up very patofcy m placeer, bnt where the land wai dear of water very heavy crops have been gathered mby him. The river road la now m a very bad state, and not fit for wheeled traffio at all ; m fact, It » fenced off and marked "dangerous." However, the traveller In saddle oan get along all right at present, not without traspsssing though, for In some parts the road, and also a considerable amount of land is gone for good and all, and only for the temporary protective works latley completed t> large stream would bo flawing down through the farms to the sea. The new River Board just about to be constituted will need to take prompt action and deal vigorously with the river water, or they will find the present embankment and grolna following the forme* ones, as tht riverbed m this locality, In gome places Is evidently above the level of the oountry on the north bank, the deposit of shingle from the river above, appearing to ao cumulate la thla parttonlar portion of tha Ashburton river, oausing the stream of water to be thrown against the bankt, Instead of flowing down a mora dlreot course towards the sea. Messrs Adams S. Thomas, Wm. Brown and D, Leddy! . In this locality, have heavy crops of grain, most of which is now m staok m splendid order, bnt probably the paddoak that will beat the record thla year, m thU part of Wakannl, for returns when the oombine has told its tale, will be Mr D Fitzgerald's, at the river side. This la oarryIng a crop of Velvet chaff wheat, that should run about 60 bushels per acre, tha atooke baing beautifully eveu, heavy, and vety thick upon the ground,, and although the Btraw Is not so long as some crops grown this year m the district, st|ll tha return from tbls paddook will probably not be beaten by any, Mr James Gooh* rane's 120 acres wheat will average 40 bushels probably, and Hassrs S. Brown, D. Wilson, P. Lownie, W. J. Wilson and James Wilson have 700 or 800 acres of wheat and oats, whloh will return good averages. Some of the last-named farmers oats, threshed from stocks, are giving 37 bushels, though they suffered a good deal from the wind, both before ripening and after they were ready for the maohine Messrs D Fitzgerald, Geo* Ooe, Geo Cole, Mrs Smith' and- F. J. Rickards have a large area of good land under orop th?H season, some of which ia expected to yield up to 50 bushels wheat and 30 to 40 of oats. Mrs M Gibson has about 850 acne, principally under wheat J this will average 35 bushels per acre, and it ia intended to thresh this orop from the et ok Keturning towards tne. sohoo the crops of MraJno. Bennett, Messrs D. Johuston, John Brown and Edwin Thomas come under review. They are all on good land, and Bom< portion of this subj^ot to flood water, Mr Jobn Brown suffering severely m this respeot, he estimating that about 50 acres of crop and surfaca land on his farm have been washed awaysinoe lust year. Mr Thomas has already milled some of this year's wheat, hia own growing and threshing, and the bread from this flour made by Mr Bryant chows that the quality of the Wakanui flour is even superior to last year's. Taking the main road to the beach, the. crops of Messrs Ohaß. Hill, Jas Brown, T. Trevurza and M. Wilson come under notice, totalling about 400 aorea averaging 30 to 35 bushels. The last named farmer is threshing from the stook a grand ssmpJe of Tuscan, his combine being fittfd with Stalker's patent feeder, whioh waa running very satisfactorily ;in f acf, allowing the maohine to runfin a wind that would prevent work if t he w.? YeS ~ ere fed b y hand - Messrs J&. Wilson, Geo. Coe, and McOleary have about 1200 aofes m orop m this part of the distriot, all wheat and oats, some of which will run up to 50 bushels per acr« for whe»t, and 30 buahela for oats? Acrosß the creek and near the sea coaat the farms of Messrs T. Wilson, Jno. Oorbett, P. Stewart, T. Walsh and Jaa, Jumieson are carrying very heavy orons of gram, over 650 aores being now Fn stubble all the oarting finished, exoent where the crop is being threshed from the stooks, and these paddocks will turn out from 40 to 50 bushels per aore, not a bad return for the; owners, even With the prospect of low prices for grain ruling this season. On the other side of the road from these farms lies the property of Mr S, Wright, who also has some heavy crons* on land nearer the sea, he having cut m all about 180 acres of wheat and 8Q acres of oats, which will probably run about 85 bushels of wbeat and 40 bushels of oats per aore. Mr Wright has set a veuv commendable example to farmors gener* ally m the way he has planted trees on his property, hiej; freehold of several bunded acres being bounded on three sides by well grown plantations of gum« and other fast-growing trees ; the house which is very commodious and wellfinished, being also surrounded by thick foliage. Consequently the garden has flourished also, the apple trees fa particular looking very healthy, and some bearing heavy crops of fruit (although generally j speaking this year is a very poor one for the apple orop). Mr Wright has also got a very good water supply both for stock and homestead, a water-race supplying a small reservoir m a paddook above the house, to which the liquid is carried by pipes. Altogether this property might well serve as a model to some property owners m this count/. The Wakanti homestead blook, formerly held by Mesarfc Sandroy and Blacklerj' is ander grass-this year, but has' been let for three years to tfrKeiiy, who intends placing a good portion under crop next year,; Mr N« Fitzgerald has some good land m this vioinity, and has threshed from the Btook I one of bis paddocks gave 65 bujheje P aj«*e •{ purple sW T'USGan, and' that/ too ? very good grain. . . A J Messrs Sinclair and Dyn.es, aero« tta rqaJ have nearly 2$ acres, «$ wilPrun from '2o to 30 buehels par .ore, some of this having been very ltte down Messrs Leadley and I. <M. Tbompson have eaoh 300 acres wheat and 70 aores oats • they are both threshing fro* the stook, the fortnor expects to average 3Qbn|hj],wh^u°46Qfo p|t« bltlf

also 30 acres rye-cotn, averaging 21 bashela. This shauld be a paying cror. for the owner. Mr Thompson's whoa' runs 35 to 40 bushels, and his oats ar average of 30 bushels per acre, although come of the latter crop turned oot ai macb ft 380 bushels per acre, Messrs .T, DaUoo and W. Giles have very fair crept on 200 acres, their land being lighter that that of some of tho former described farms, but Mr James Moore's farm, though small, carries very heavy crops. the result for this year belog about §( bushels per aero, from 60 acres of wheat. Over the creek the farms of Messrs Lea. thani, P. Inne?i and Banifant carry about 220 acres wheat, running 35 to 40 bushels, 70 aores oats going 30 to 40 bushels, and Mi Innet has also 30 acres of barley, Which should turn out about 1000 bushele grain of good e*an qaa'lty. Messrs Gaas, Butteriok, Murphy, and Dwyer'a properties, together carry over 700 acrea wheat and oa'?, turniDg out probably from SO to 40 bushels all round, all ■tacked m splendid order Nearer At»h. barton the holdings of Messrs Williamson, Jary, Kennedy ; Protheroe, McGirr, Scott, and Mrs Brankin, are all carrying heavy grain orops, about 250 acres wheat and 50 acres of oats being harvested on these properties, going for wheat 35 to 40 bushele, and the tame for oats. Messrs Hudson's and Joo. Coohrane's snug steadings come next m order, and here Oeres has bountifully rewarded the labor of the husbandman, for the former has ISO acres wheat, one paddook of whiob threshed nut 60 bushels per acre, 66 aores oats going 25 to 30 bushels, and 30 acres barley (first class cram). averaging a probable yield of 40 bushels, while the fatter expects a return of 60 bushels per acre from 85 aores grand orop of Hunter's white and 'velvet chaff wheats. Mr Ooohrane Is one of the settlers who have gone In for planting treeß heavily, at.d now he reaps the benefit of them, his fine new house being sheltered m all directions by oholce speo'mens of forest trees and shrubs, lv great profusion, the drive to the front entrance befrg one of thp prettiest and bess grown m this County. Taking the road to Newlands, another sort of country is entered on, large areaa and light land and orops being the rule m this locality, Meesis Lloyd, Hight, Robinsan, Le Breton, Moore, Allan, LIU, Parker, Grayburn, and Aston having 3300 •ores under orop, which will run from 14 to 16 bushels per aore all round, and fioe quality of grain for milling, being staoked m first-class condition. la the Seafield district. Mr Denshlre's farm is now held by Mr R, Pitt, who has cropped 300 sores ibis season, which will return an average Plains yield, though some of It suffered from the hot and dry summer. Messrs Ayrton, Richardson, M. Brooe, Oolllson, Murphy, and Hurley are bney stacking the results from 1700 acres of wheat and oats, which will probably thrash out 14 oq 15 bushels wheat, and 25 bushels oats per acre. Mr Buckley has 300 acres crops, whloh should rnn about the same yield. Mr Parsons' land is heavily planted with blue gums, that gentleman having several large plantations, m good order, of theae. fast*growing useful trees. He has also 380 acres wheat and 160 oats, whioh he expects will tun about 15 boshels all round. The homestead is very oomfort> ftble, and a feature worthy of note is the orohard, where a large number of apple •nd peaoh trees are growlog luxuriantly, the peaoh es being full of fine healthy foliage, and loaded with fruit aho, showing th 6 suitability of the dry plains land for this fruit. The apple trees also •re looking exceedingly well, and carrying ■ good deal of fruit, Mr Parsons having found a mixture of keroßene and paint oil very efficacious In destroying both scale and aphis, those pests of the orohard, and his trees being almost entirely fre6 from theie troubles. Messrs R. Hampton, E. Hampton, and Ad&ir have a largp area under crop this year, nearly 1000 tores being harvested, principally wheat, going from J 6 to 17 bothels all round., •cd all safely stacked ready for the mill Mr F. 3ennhon has 7(0 acres wheat and 200 acres oats on the Selma estate, and ezpectsto thresh out 20 bushels whe%l and 30 of oats per acre. Messrs Sprott Bros, of Cherteey have also 500 acre! grain near Selma, whioh they hope wil rnn 20 bushels per aore. Mr Friedlander'f Dundas property is all m grass this year, but m consequence of the dry windj summer not near the amount of grasi ■eed usually sown by strippers has been secured this season on the Plains, c aumber of paddocks kept for need or various farms not having been worth the cost of harvesting. In concluding tbic report on the Wakanol, Seafield, an<3 Sfewlands distriot orops, It will probablj be found that the averages on the lighi lands will be exceeded m some casts, and on the many good lands, some will rui short of the estimate given m.