CROPS IN THE MANAWATU.

Dominion, Issue 1337, 15 January 1912, Page 8

CROPS IN THE MANAWATU.

Tho noise of the binder is heard everywhere just now, according to tho Manawatu correspondent of the . "Farmers' - Union Advocate." Tho crops arc, however, not really matured, tho grain is ripe, but tho straw is green. On all hands it is stated that tho grain will bo light. Tho later sown crops will bo filled this year, but the early ones got such a knocking about by tho gales that the grain dried up, and tho absence of sun and warmth kept the straw from ripening properly, owing to tho ground being constantly wet. '■•■:• Mangolds, strange to say, aro very lato this year. Many had to bo sown twice, and somo threo times, before a proper plant resulted. In tho land round Palmerston, where the soil is especially suited for growing them, they- aro still ploughing them in. They find there that i ploughing the plants in is a much better way of getting a good crop than from seed in tho rows. This year thero has been a: great scarcity of plants. The correspondent says ho had to do with planting somo lately, and had tho greatest difficulty in getting plants. I fancy, ho adds, that for stud sheep, farmers will soon be going in for cow cabbage, planted in tho samo way.