WEATHER AND CROPS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1442, 17 May 1912, Page 10

WEATHER AND CROPS.

OFFICIAL REPORT FOR APRIL. ' Reporting .to-, the-Agricultural Department on the condition of-.the pastures.and crops during .the-past, month,, officers of the. Fields'and Experiment -Farms Division give the following information:— • -Hawera.—Moderatelv fine weather prevailed during the. early part.of April...On April 23 heavy ; rain set-in ;and continued for. several-days. Since then to the end ofihe month .th.e weather was extremely rough and : unpleasant—continuous high winds from the. south-west with bitterly cold atmosphere and recurring heavy showers of, rain and hail. :.The cold snap .has resulted in a.rapid falling off in milk supply at factories, and some-cream, eries will be running only every other day after Hay 1. Stock, however, are in good condition,' and, judging by present .appearance of .pastures, should winter well. Most farmers, .too, are well provided with extra winter feed in both hay and roots.-

. Wanganui.—Excellent weather .was experienced for the first-three weeks in April. From April 23 to th? end of the month heavy rains, with occasional tem'pests of hail, fell, at frequent intervals, 1 arid the temperature was decidedly, wintry., Pastures, a'iifl crops—root and green —are looking w-ell. '■ ■, . '

. Oroua.—The weather ' was changeable during the whole month, Cold winds, with an occasional frost,-were general throughout the Ofou'a, Manawatu, Rangitikei, and Kiwifea. districts. Many farmer? have arrived at "the conclusion, that it. does not-pay to grow-rushes. They are. therefore busy - i-tiimping and clearing th'e'ir-land. in readiness for the. plough. •'•■ -Palmerston' North.—The weather -was very unsettled.- Pastures'are stilt,good. Dairy-iajmers-have ,had'a good seaFon,, and the iprospects are-good. Late crops have-been very satisfactory. •. Some very good oat, yields have been recorded, such as 70, 80; 90, and 100 bushels per acre. The- broken - weather -.has been very much agams,t;grass seed .harvesting,' and as a consequence a good'deal of the seed is dis'coloured.

;■' Maipukurnu.—April was a good month ■for.'pastures,and'root crops. Though we ;hav'(rhad .several, sharp frosts, the pastures are still making fair growth, nice warm weather following the frosts. . Mangaweka.—The wintry weather ex,psrieileed will have a telling -effect on ipastjircs. Some very fine crops of turnips .'iirV'td be seen om the new bufiis-rn. valuable asset 'to ■ farmers for the' winter (■ months, ■•■'■.

.....Mas.te.rton,—The ...weather. for the last fortnight has been most unfavourable for liotli stock and pastures. With the recent stormy weather and the amount of rain that fell throughout the summer the has jumped ahead, and consequently is soi'l. When the frosts appear the grass 'will-' e'i'iiuible up. Dairy farmers. T notice, are going in for more winter feed.

-Marlborough.—Tn the Pounds:-.Kaituna'. Peldrus. and Itni portions of the'district good rains have fallen during the month, and the country generally looks well;-lint over the remainder of the district no rain fell until the 25th, when heavy 'showers set in. accompanied by snow on the hieher altitudes and very much colder weather. The dry spell gave a set-back to pastures, and delayed farmers in ploughing, owing to tho'hardness of the ground. Frosts I'iiiul generally wintry weather have now set-in.

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