SOUTH CANTERBURY HARVEST

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1415, 16 April 1912, Page 10

SOUTH CANTERBURY HARVEST

FARMERS AND DEFENCE. Speaking at the last meeting of the South Canterbury .Executive of the Farmers' Union, the president, Mr. J. Talbot, said the harvest had beeir a trying one this year, but on the whole tho results were "satisfactory, though there had.been Eomo individual losses through storms. The yields were turning out better than was anticipated—higher, he thought, than the Government, statistician predicted. The yield would be well up to 35 bushels for wheat and 50 for oats. Tho quality too was very fair, especially where the grain had been stacked.. As regards the ipo'tato crop, the Government estimate of six tons per acre, was a very low one; ho thought.it would bo at least 10 tons per acre in South Canterbury. There was an abundance of feed. The clover crops had come on well so far as growth was concerned, but many, of the heavier crops were not seeding very well, There was an abundance of feed for winter, and he did not suppose that any of them had ever seen a better autumn growth. Calling out the Territorials for camp so early had caused many farmers a gTeat (leal of ■inconvenience- seeing that there was so much work to be dono on the farms. The rssult was that a great many teams were standing idle. The farmers had been given to understand that the camps would not .be held until the end of the summer when work was slack. The batch of domestic servants imported: by the union had arrived, and tho girls had gone to their several homes. A. good deal of trouble was experienced in getting the girls out, and he doubted whether the union would bo able to continue the work in a satisfactory way. There was a great dearth of such labour, and people in tho country were put to considerable inconvenience as a result.