THE CROPS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 2326, 11 January 1890, Page 2

THE CROPS.

The Btfoog southerly wind that hie prevailed •liuoe Wednesday Increased yesterchy to the foroe of a gale, and reaping, which wu to fall swing In the oat crop, wai stopped. Some fully ripe corn was shaken oat, but the wind being oold did not bring on the rapid ripening and great lubb whioh farmers have too often suffered from the effects of hot winds. A considerable quantity of oats Is already in the stook, and some already stacked In good order, That pirt of the Ashbnrton county If Ing between the Hinds and Rsngltata riven, west of the main Railway line, ius for the greater part only the fonces to redeem It from the imputation of being still In a atate of nature. Settlement la atill very spars a, and sheep form the main "crop." Some good grain orops have in past years been reaped in this part of the county, averages as high as 50 bushels of wheat to the sore having been recorded from paddocks At Maronaa and even as far up as Morrow's. It happens, tnwever, that the circle of orcps has this season fallen for the most part upon English graits, with a good breadth which f alto, or hope leads the farmer to sty Is In turnips, and here and there some oats, Tiie Eogllsb grass throughout the dls trlet U good, and as the wide expanse of tussook has gradually become sawn with white clover there is plenty of feed, and the sheep look in partlonlarly good condition. Oat<<, which this season are the chief cereal orop Id this district, are on th^ whole very ntnoied aud thin. Some Indeed towards the Rangltata will hatdly be worth re»piag, The erases of this poor yield are the high winis of September and Ootober and the want of sufficient moisture for the young plant. B ,th these InflaenofS wsrj vary marked In their effaots upon 'ha very light aad generally stony Und oIE this district. Here and there a pieoe of better land fairly sheltered; or that was fortunate anoagh to cecape the full foroe of the winds promises to give somet ing approaching the Average yield of the district, bat with thes9 exceptions the production will be ; below the average. About Mayfield a lit la wheat looks pietty well, but evea of thie the average return will -be lew. Turnips came up vary bsdly, and resow* Int* has been slmo-t genet ally reported to, [ and even now the plants are very Irregular and btra p-tshfs are consp'oaoos. The reocnt rsins will doubtless oauso the ge m'nation of some of the seed which tvs hitherto Uln dormant ia the ground, and fiere mty yet ba a euffialenoy of feed for sheep during the winter. As a cropping district the portion of the couaty under notice will this seasoo bear an insignificant part in the annnal returns.