WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 424, 5 February 1909, Page 2

WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

THE CANTERBURY OUTLOOK, writeslt, is to be hopei that/a wet. January is not the forerunner ol; an old-fashioned February "/ill dvke," : but at ™e.P r Men.ttinie. the : agricultural .ojitlobkiin isouth Canterbury is very'glo'6my.' A. .deluge m mii fell in the Geraldine, Wo'odbnry, Kangitata, Orari, and ■"'Winchester' districts on surmay night bf .last Aveek, whicli.Avas'sue- - ccecied by more rain on Tuesday, and another utjluge ou Thursday night and Friday: ■ The ettcct on some, of the, ripening crops 'of'corn nas:bcen disastrous,, and in places they aw . doivn- and matted, so ': tliaf'-euttinft 1 Via bo an operation of greatdifficulty.' The' whole Country, is saturated, and the ■ rivers and -streams are'in flood. Of fresh. Through-' out the five districts of which. I have immediate Knowledge the gram Crops Ark, as a rule, exceptionally good, and witlisttoh; au'AbiHid* Slice in -Sight ,the : prospect or a .Wet lia,rvesfc is most exasperating.. With itho aid ,of a week or ten days of hne leather the bulk Of the corn would be cut,- but in, consequence of the ramy seuon it is ripening very slowly. During the three, hot days folloW-; ing. January , 20, the early fields, changed colour, . .and on the... Saturday a reaping machmo was to bo seen'-at- work here and there,- but ( since then nothing, has been done. On the other hand—to glean consolation fthero one can—many of the pasture lands aro:yet ankle, deep with feed, and present a great contrast' to; their. bro\vn, scorched barrenness at this period ,of last summer. Tlw l ape fields, generally Conthyi an excellent growthj and the turiiips arc deing • well, though they require fine weather to prevent them from -running.. to top:- A number 'of farmers have, sown swedes'instead of " turnips, as a possible safeguard against a fepet-i----tion .of tho havofc' caused by fly and blight last year. . So far, however, the pest has onlyappeared .in a few isolated -cases l in South .Canterbury. - Tho potato croo is very' good, and the blight; only- noticeable, from ; sence,- s6 there-is still' something to be thankful for..; Likewise,- the hay harvest was put into stack rih good condition and in quantity .than usual, .many people apparently determining to mako provision for the predicted lad winter. Gardens are looking well ; and ..in the, orchardSj though-.thoiheavy croti of plums .has been split and partly- spoilt by a verj' heavy Crop or apples ■ to .compensate in ; a:;ffletiSur6,f6rvthe Jess.; ,\To 'i sum up the situation) further - \vet-; weathei •will, cause widespread destruction; • but -with • a^jme. February there; is yet to. gather-• auiiost ; jijrecoi'd harvest;.- -. -;