NORTH CANTERBURY CROPS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1347, 26 January 1912, Page 8

NORTH CANTERBURY CROPS.

GENERAL PROSPECTS GOOD. A review of the crops in the North Canterbury district, published in the "Lyttelton Times," states 'that the prospect* generally ate good. 'The turnip and rape crops'have been hampered somewhat in some localities by (he activity of the fly. In some eases three sowings hail to be made before satisfactory results were obtained. The heavy rain in Christmas wee!;, however, seems to have had the effect of destroying the ])Ost, no damage of a recent date being reported. The ryegrass seed crop is an exceptionally heavy one, and the seed is of excellent quality. Already some thousands of bushels are on the market. In some localities the led clover gives promise uf a satisfactory return, but in others the yield is likely to be poor, and the crop as a whole will bo much below the average. The least satisfactory crops of any this- year will be the peas and potatoes. .An extensive area of both has sull'ered serious damage from flood-water and excessive rains. On land having a porous subsoil the potatofs are looking exceedingly promising, but oil the low lands the fields? have a. sadly pntchy appearance. In some instances, flic'peas are being ploughed in, being worthless to harvest. Notwithstanding the losses, however, (he total. quantity of peas to harvest will bo ill excess of last year's return, a very much larger area having been grown I his season. The small birds are taking their customary toll of the early crops, but their depredations are 110 more serious than in former .years. In two or three instances farmers have put I lie reaper into green oats owing to the presence of the caterpillar, but up to prose 111 very little has Iwen heard of the ppst this season. As an expected result of Hie moist weather, rust lias made its appearance in the late crops, and unless drier conditions prei'ail until harvest it may yet prove a source of serious loss.