THE HARVEST.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16428, 23 January 1919, Page 2

THE HARVEST.

♦ ellesmere district. I A few of the very early oat crops, chiefly those sown for winter and s ->r : u~ "rcen feed for stock, have been ib-eahcd and the samples inspected so 'far rre very pood. The oat crops tins , en . o n have done remarkably well, especiallv the Garten?, and some prolific yields "may be exacted. Ihc supply of oats should be sufficient for all requirements. Very few samples ot grass seed have been shown up to t-ne present. It is not likely that more than nn odd crop of early wheat will be rcancd before the end of this month, ana most of the wheat will not be ripe for a ••ood fortnight or more yet. Indicat ions are that the corning harvest 4'm he one of the latest on recora, and it will be surprising if the thresnfn- machines are able to pull m much before Mav Ist, and the F ea threshing Si probably not be finished by .thai. The wheat shows excellent promise so far, but it will bo easier to estimate the probable yields, in abo.it ton davs' time. There is little sign of anv wheat disease m the district ind the prospects or much harm being done now seem to be rather remote It is rather a remarkable fact that v-he'-cas last season Algerian oats stood richt out above all other varieties both as regards given feed and Harvest vieldC and resisted the rust far better than Greon's Ruakura, this season it is 011 the whole the most disappointing of any variety of oat. But for the Algerians there would probably have been"an oat famine in the district, la ft vear. The explanation of the partial failure of Algerians this season, both for feed purposes and for harvesting, is the abnormally coid weather experienced. It is an oat that apr-arentlv needs favourable clima tic conditions. The severe frosts following the snow last winter cut the green oats very badly, and instead or giving an abundant of green feed in the winter fyid spring the Algerians produced very little feed for stock. The green crops were repeatedly cut down by frost, and in consequence the average height of the crops of this variety in the present season is much shorter than that of last year. There is probably a larger acreage in peas this season than ever before. Wherever one goes there are crops of peas to be seen. Careful enquiries made go to show that a large proportion of the early varieties, those usually called garden peas, particularly in cases where there were pods or where the flowering stage had been reached,.were ruined by the frost experienced at the beginning of this month. Peas inside the pods are shrivelled up, and some of the crops inspected in the neighbourhood of Leeston are not likely to be worth harvesting. The visitation of frost seems to have been somewhat patchy, and it j is hoped that somo of the early peas ] may have cscaped. A good deal of growing is being done on contract, j and from 10s to 12s 6d per bushel is offered for strong growing farm peas. Last year's tempting price accounts for the large acreage this season. Farmers are agreed that never has there been such a showing -of white clover as during this season in all parts of the district. The clover seems to have done remarkably well on some of the lighter land. The result is that a record acreage was closed up for seed. J.t is likely that the price of seed will be affected to some extent. Last year from Is 6d to 2s was paid fW good seed. Indications are that there will be a payable price for good, bright, well-saved seed, but dirty and inferior samples will not be worth much. The abundance of white clover means that there will be a plentiful supply of honey. Bee-keepers seem to be agreed that although, owing to the unseasonable weather during the spring and summer, the honey crop will not be a record, the return will be a paying one. Some of~Ehe iarmers are making bee-keeping a sideline. Last season one farmer extracted two tons of honey, which, at 7£d per pound, brought him in £140— quite a nice addition to the sum d£rived from other branches of' farming. It is very evident that the amount of ryegrass, both Italian and perennial, and also red clover, that will be threshed for seed this season, will fall a long way short of last year's crop. Some farmers who harvested 100 acres oi- more of ryegrass last season havo. only 20 or 30 acres this season, and it looks as though there will be an insufficient «supply of seed, with fairly good prices in consequence. A fair amount of Western Woltlis has been saved. There is comparatively little red clover to be. seen so far. The potatoes are very backward, arid the acreage in tubers is very small. The crops seem to be doing well, and if the blight does not take hold later on the yields should be fairly good. Those who have potatoes are justified in looking forward, it would appear, to good prices. GERALDINE DISTRICT. , A quick-change climate has been abused very freely in the Geraldine "district during the last few days; but among its varieties came part of a rainfall which was greatly needed throughout the country, and even the grumblicst farmer will admit that tho general situation might be worse. Though the rain did not continue long, it penetrated the parched soil for a few inches, and was of much use to the rape and winter feed crops, which in some-places were becoming stunted for want of a wetting. The present season is a very late one in almost every way, 'and apparently a considerable extent of turnip land remains to be sown, but the earlier crops received a good freshening, and both swedes and turnips are now making a rapid growth. Fair progress has been the rule with shearing operations on the hill runs, and reports of Btock affairs are generally satisfactory. This year the harvest is ripening slowly, and in the stretch of country between the Rangitata and Opihi rivers it js usual to find that only the earliest oats are yet in stook. In the neighbourhoods of Orari Bridge, WoodbHry, Four Peaks, and Kakahu, and in the whole of the valley country, it is considered that the harvest will be at least threie weeks or a month later than in any recent season, and to jtfdge from their appearance at the moment, a great many of the crops will be ready for cutting at the same time, and a great rush of work will result. In spite of the unfavourable outlook at a certain period of the spring, the majority of the wheat crops are good, or better, and given good weather for the harvest work, the yields per aero may prove to be well above the average. According to some of the growers near Orari Bridge and Woodbury, they have not seen better wheat for many years. Through Gapes' Valley and Beautiful Valley to the Opuha bridge, and round left-handed past Raincliff and Pleasant Point, the harvest prospect again is fair, though in the hill country several weeks must elapse before the corn is ripe for the reaper. The oats are a verv varying crop, occasionally very good, more often average, and sometimes short and thin on the lighter lands. In places a considerable amount of damage has been caused by the strong north-westerly winds, which havo shelled tho grain; and elsewhere the sparrows are frequenting the nelds i in flocks more numerous than ever, and , with a corresponding loss of corn as a result. Locally, it is reported that the fly has done harm among the wheat, but, taken on the whole, in the opinion of one of those who grow corn most extensively, the oats are &ir, and the j wheat is good, and the present outlook i promises a-satisfactory harvest* ,

While travelling rtads esneciallv when anywhere m the vicinity Jfa riverbed, a great increase is noticeable in the numbers of rabbits, which, nowadays, are in scores, where formerly they were seen only on rare occasions, and it is evident that determined efforts will be necessary to abate the pest. Haymaking operations still continue, and veiy many good crops have- been put salely into I» one place, near a bee farm, the bees travelling' across the hay field stopped ■ work during a whole afternoon. According to the bee-man, they were m a bad temper because, of a sudden co d wind, and one having stung a ive y Jiorse. and another the equally lively owner, a bolt ensued, fortunately without serious consequence. l'rom the orchards there is news of a scarcity of stone fruit, and a large quantity of the apples have been spoiled or marked t>> hail Thou eh slightly touched by recent frost, tho gardens everywhere now appear in better order, and the potato crops arc reported to be doing well.