CROPS IN THE MANAWATU.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1343, 22 January 1912, Page 8

CROPS IN THE MANAWATU.

; A CHEERFUL REVIEW. ■ In a brief review of the crops in the Manawatu, tho district correspondent of the 'Tanners' Union Advocato" writes as under: —Business has taken me over a ' considerable portion of the district during the Inst lew nays, and it has been delightful travelling about. Going through the Manawatu district, people were busy with > their hay. 1 noted, however, that not many hands were employed. Instead of 1 having regular teams as of old, the single dray or wagon was all 1 could see, and tho builder went out into the paddock and loaded the dray, coming back with it to stack the load. Everywhere, the grass was plentiful and. green, the suckling clover making a perfect mat. Further on tho oats had ripened, and were being cut. and stacked, not too promising. Then camo the rye-grass country; most of tho farmers wero cutting. Thero will bo a 1 splendid aftermath, and tho lambs, if they can only bo got on before it dries up, ■will fatten on it and save tho rJpe. The heads are ripe and the clover below is quite green. ' This makes it very difficult to cut and leave.-; the paddock after stooking rather ragged-looking. Many say they , are afraid the yields will not" be" good this season. It is, however, difficult tn gaugo the yield before, threshing. All agreo that the crested dogstail crop will bo very good. I do not think there is quite so much in as usual. I think growers were a little afraid this crop' would be overdone. All the way along towards Marton, work is going on merrily. Sonic with' hay,' others with grass seed; somo with grain' crops, mostly oats. Not. much wheat, though probably this is going to bo the better paying crop. Tho only piece of wheat I saw on that journev was up on thß lint, which used to be the Marton racecourse, about fifty acres, I should say, of a nice even crop, which should yield very well. Rape was not much iir evidence. I think there is distinctly less rape than last year, anil turnips, I was surprised to see, were verv few. What rape has been sown is, I hear, very good. I saw some on Ngaio tho other day—quite a good crop. Passing by tho ensilage stack at the Marton Experimental plots, I found it had sunk to very small dimensions. I noted a number of people putting up stacks, which, I suppose, are ensilage, though I see no weight put oil, and I'nm afraid not much care has been taken as to temperature. Lots of potatoes aro to be seen in small Hatches, and, fortunately, no blight, which is pleasant to record.