GERALDINE DISTRICT.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16416, 9 January 1919, Page 8

GERALDINE DISTRICT.

Since the frost on Christmas Eve, the Geraldino districts have been favoured with more seasonable weather, though after dark the temperature has frequently dropped nearly to freezing point. A slight rainfall occurred on Sunday, and locally some hail showers caused a certain amount of barm in orchards and gardens. The whole country is rather parched, and a night of steady rain would be of the greatest use to the root crops and grasslands. At the moment, the business of_ hay-mabmg is being pushed forward vigorously, and, given favouring conditions, a great num. ber of fair to good crops will be put in stack.

Apparently, the quantity of hay gathered during the present season is likely to be much in excess of the average amount in recent years, for tho experiences of last winter proved the great value of a stack or two in time of When snow covered the ground, the sheep would scarcely touch the frozen turnips, but cleared up every atom or the hay, which was put out for them m long racks or rows. The straw stacks also were useful in snow time, but a fortnight ago it was noted at a farm near Geraldine, where shearing was in progress, that tho wool might not be improved when a flock had free access to these threshed-out grain stacks. In tho hard weather, the flock -under notice would pay little attention to the frozen root feed which was at their disposal, and spent most of the day in nibbling at some straw stacks, which were close at hand. At the same time they naturally were pressing and rubbing against the stacks, and, as a consequence, when the fleeces were spread for. rolling, it was found that a greater or less number of old corn heads and bits of straw still remained matted firmly in every fleece. Tho mischief was worst down the middle of the backs, and in some cases it was considered necessary to pull out a whole strip from the fleece.

Under tho influence of hot sunshine and drying winds, the corn crops in the country aoout Orari, Geraldine, Woodbury, Pleasant Valley, and Kakahu are coming rapidly to maturity, and harvesting operations are in progress here or there among tho autumn-sown oate. In tho localities named there are many fine oat crops, and some which are very poor and thin. This year the birds are even more active than is usual, and great flocks of sparrows are frequenting the fields of ripening grain, where it is reported that they have already done much damage, and' are likely to do much more. The _ wheat is, in most places, a fairly satisfactory crop, and, given good weather for harvesting, should yield well. In the hill districts there will be many late crops.