HARVEST PROSPECTS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14888, 30 January 1914, Page 10

HARVEST PROSPECTS.

ELLESMERE. So far as the Ellesmere district Ls concerned, harvest work has been carried out, up to the present, undermost favourable weather conditions. The weather has been exceptionally warm every day—too warm, in fact, to suit tho majority of the men engaged in the fields—but it Ls just the sort of weather tho farmer likes and the sort of weather that is expected at this season of the year, though the expectation very often does not reach reality. "When once his crops begin to get ripened the farmer likes to get a straight run through with his reaping, stooking, threshing, and grain carting, with just enough rain to keep the mangolds, potatoes, rape, and turnips, and grass going, and if the rain comes at night, or on Sundays, so much tho better. Sinco reaping first commenced, thero have been only two showers, and neither of theso held up the work for many hours, while thoy did an immense amount of good. The district has a somewhat notorious reputation for dry, withering nor'-west winds in the summer time, but the winds have been very moderate during the past few weeks, and have not occasioned any stoppages of stacking or threshing. A strong nor'-wester when crops are ripe strikes terror into the heart of tho farmer, for ah immense amount of grain can bo shaken out in a singlo day. This season the crops have ripened very rapidly, and on most farms the reapers have been kept hard at work from daylight to dark to keep paco with the fast ripening cereals and get the wheat, oats and barley safely tied into sheaves, so that, in the event of, a strong nor'-wester springing up, little if any grain will be lost. By tho end of this week very little but the lato spring-sown crops will remain standing and these, too, will soon be cut. All available labour has been absorbed any employment could be found for a good many jnor'e able and willing workers. Stookers in many cases have not been able to keep paco with the reapers and consequently a good deal of grain is lying waiting to be put on end. Threshing has commenced in real earnest everywhere, and indications point to the likelihood of the machines having a good run. Returns available so far are of a most encouraging nature, and farmers who havo had oats and barley put through seem to bo generally well pleased with their returns. Buyers of grain aro also getting busy, but no deals of any consequence have been rej ported as yet.