PASTURES AND CROPS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1609, 28 November 1912, Page 8

PASTURES AND CROPS.

A DEPARTMENTAL REVIEW. Ofiicers of the fields and Experiments 'Division .of ,tha Agricultural Deiiartuioiit, reviewmu the condition of the pastures ami crops during' the iwet month, imvu tiie lolloiving to say:— ..Strnttord.—'J'lie mouth brought on the feed well. Taking tho.country generally, it is looking very well, and tlio prospects are very bright for fanners. - Hnwcra.—Tliemilk-yickl largely increased during the month, ami (lie prospects for the dairying seasou ure at preseac ex- • ceedingly bngiit. Wanganui.—Pastures favoured by. the relatively fine weather of the early and 'latter parts of the month, and by the '..lengthening, daye, have grown freely, and now generally supply. a good quantity of feed. Grain crops, are looking well. Mangaweka.—The continuous wet has done a great deal of harm, causing slips, and suspending all ploughing and garden work. Grass looks well, but is soft—more sunshine is.needed. High prices are being obtained for cattle and sheep. Dairy factories aro in full swing, and cows are milking well. Shearing commenced in a .good many places, but the wet weather is checking the work'considerably. . : PntiiatUH'.—Docking is not yet completed' owing to the bad weather. ' Shearing is .also being Relayed through . the same cause... Cereals, and grasses aie, however, .making.good growth., -' North. Wtiirarapa— Snow on the low country and cold bitter winds towards the cud of the month stayed oil'-growth, and was particularly rough on newlj--shorn ewes. Notwithstanding,, the country is looking well, and there is abundance of feed. The grass grub is to be seen in different parts of the district working away amongst the. grain crops.

.. Masterton.—Generally speaking, the pastures look very well.. Crops are not looking as well as they should. Rough weather has caused a heavy mortality among newly-shorn sheep, and orchards have in nliuiy instances suffered severely. ' South Wairarapa—Stock suffered severely through the storm of October 26. Snow fell down to the lower levels, which is unusual at this time of the year. ' In most cases farmers have' had.an exceptionally good lambing. Oat crops are looking well, and feed is plentiful. Shearing in many cases is in.'full swing.

Wellington.—During October a succession of strong gales with frequent cold rains generally prevailed. A fierce southerly blizzard, bringing snow on the higher country, raged on the 2Cth, damaging fruit trees and crops, and causing considerable loss amongst newly-shorn: sheep..