GOING THROUGH THE RYE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1361, 12 February 1912, Page 10

GOING THROUGH THE RYE.

A FLYING VISIT' TO SANDON. An opportunity which presented itself after ;h« Fi-ildiu? Sho.v enabled the writer tu make a flying visit to the centre of the Sandon grass-seeding area, where threshing is now in full swing. The dimension.? to which this industry bus grown in tho district cannot be fully appreciated until one actually has a run around the larms. On all hands there is rye in stock, and huge stacks indicate where threshing has already been done. Contrary to the general prediction, at the end of the year the season has proved a remarkably good one, and numerous excellent yields have been obtained to date. Before Christmas, however, it looked as though tho ryc-groweis were in for a disastrous season, and men were not slow to point to the "hilly" of Kandoii farmers who had parted with their sheep to go in for rye. At this time the outlook was certainly dreary, and few of tho growers themselves expected to be able to do Anything with their crops. The continuous wet weather and Ihe wind

"laid" the crops so badly that it was thought that it would be impossible to cut them. This undoubtedly spoiled a record season, but the returns which have come off the machines so far, and tho seed in stook, are such that there is no doubt but that Inst season's output will be beaten. One grower obtained the remarkable yield of 60 bushels to (he aero off the first paddock he threshed out. This is, of course, the yield of undressed, seed, and it is said to be a record for the district off the machine. It is expected that, taking into consideration the line class of seed put through, that the 81) bushels will dress down to about 65. Another farmer, whose seed has an excellent reputation, even for Sandon seed, put down about 159 acres in rye, the gro.>s value of the seed cut oil this being about ,£I7OO. The grower in question expects, his seed to dress down to something over 50 bushels of 281b. seed per acre. The general average after dressing down is expected to be about 50 bushels. According to an experienced farmer, tlie rye in the Sandon district has averaged 25 bushels to the acre, taken over a number of years. The greater part of the present season's crop had been sold in advance at ss. per bushel for 2olb. samples, with one penny for every additional pound weight, of" seed.

A considerable amount of crested dogstnil grn.-s is now being grown about Sandon (for seed purposes), and tho crops lire reported to be better this year than ever before, this, no doubt, icing duo to the experience growers have now gained in preparing their land, cutting, etc. Considering the weather that lias been experienced, (ho dogs-'ail crops ripened very evenly. As grass-send growing is increasing, there is a proportionate decrease in the production of wheat and oats. Except to lit in with the ordinary rotation of the farm, wheat and oat's are hardly touched.

It is difficult to give a definite statement as to land values in the Saiulon district as few properties have chanced hands of late. One auction sale recently saw ,CJO ]os. per acre paid for over 100 acres. This cannot be taken as an average sale, however, as the land was boiHit by a member of the family selling, and he, doubtless, went further to cot the land for sentimental reason's than an average buyer would, and the adioiniii" owner was also bid-line; for it. At the same time fancy prices are the order of the dav.