AGRICULTURE IN HAWKE'S BAY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 930, 24 September 1910, Page 17

AGRICULTURE IN HAWKE'S BAY.

4 - , The tbiefscrops grown are larga :, -a-'reas:tbeing^s6wn.-dow , n:;eyery ; .;a'utnimn ia-;Algeriafi-9afe)"ted:off twice/and-thr.e9.,c times m'' -wnitei- and - then., allowed to.t,, come 'aw ay , m spring, giving splendid crops'ot.''2J--"toii3-of;gr«:n:i'odaer: per r. acre,-7.o'i| froirf CO; to 90 -bushels,.ot,oats pel iipe Capo bailey is also treated as- aboVe:Wai<l the average crop, would.S: be about but as. high as .109 % busheferper-'acre-'has. been; got.:,-W3iea.t,>;,-. -, are grown; but not i ■- toithG-'sa-me-:extent,..and they.-alsojyield > abundaufj- 'crops. v One of; the, greatest r.;r orops is ryegrass. .- These plains grow,-: •the. 'finepterYß' grass: Eeed thati-canwlw-■■■ . got-jf-ihe-'yield-.from -samo: bemg;from,;:per aeroand,.'the;ayer« age- price .-The -cost of ■■ har« ■: • - .vestingirfchis amounts: to:,only :-ls.:;per,;;: ' -bushel, including ; t-he. di'essing by -mill.----,in°paddocks. -Lucerne (alfalfa) is largely, .; ;grown ;and cut for: hay, giving thrce'.to .. i four, crops in- on6>seasoni'.'''.'':-3W,'mam- ; i. : stock, feeding: fodder.grown --, is rape, %. : whicli:can be eaten .down three and four times ii:i the -, summer- season, the first..crop' being. fit to; feed about nine weeks.- . after: Sbwing,- sav, about- the middlo.of ■December, and can be fed off right-up to April. : ; Many , hundreds- of-acres;,of-.-' -rape- (,are. grown annually, and-from 30 • -to- -40 "lambs,- are, fattened.- per. acre,;-.it: being , a general average to fatten.-at •' least 35'lambs-per:acre on a-good crop.',. ■ 'Boot crops ..are- not-' much--: grown vfor winter, feeding, except--mangolds,-.- the,-. ■ ;jield-from- which is from-60 to .80 tons ; acre.' Owing: to the splendid,-cli- « mate; and : good' < fodder grasses - grown,- -, there is no need for grow--mg'root crops for,w-inter use.,',, . ./The pastures are, chiefly;-made,up of 4he F :following,- English -' ' cocksfoot-, : Timothy, crested;; dogs-tail, . and prairie:' The chief- grasses; are, rye.-, and-cocksfoot, and ou- thesergrasses.,tha 'Hastings,plains can-winter>with the^asr.v - sistance.. of,-the; hay,f romfour.:.to i. sis,-;. ; ewes ;per. acre; - while'.inithe: summer,ten-.-, to .twelve . sheep per acre-will not keep .-. the .grass- down. In- and adjoining, the borough we hare land that has,been-sold -; 'from £o0 to £70 per acro for practically v , pastoral purposes.. The farmers * make ;, , a- comfortable'living..from.-feheep.;andj.:v - -grass seed-on area-s from 50 to 80-,aorea : dairying; and .fruit-growingis,'.de-described , elsewhere).; Oiitwardr. I .again k from these wo.have the farms, varying: from 100 -to 300.acres, growing also- oat-sl, and / rye :-grass:--crops,.; and fattening' ■sheep. These: farms a.re from, three ( to. . nine miles, fromHastings,'centro;:; and : . alter', a little 111 quality in : different.' di-;'j-rections, but all aro splendid, cropping, : -pastoral; country,: wintering- five - to-,:615.; .ewes-/ per ! acre ; and ;-summering,-twelvo ;- sheep.- These farms aro valued,; accord-. ing to their situation, at from- fiO : 1 ;£SO per acre for the heaviest sod, £30 or ■640' forithe next, -aiid- from £22:t0 -:■ ,£2o per acre r for the lighter, soil;-; bni ■ best oit-gro\ung land