GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1984, 14 February 1914, Page 8

GENERAL FARMING NEWS.

Offing.to. tho difficulty in obtaining farm'hands, the crops of many Masterton farmers have been in stook for somo considerable time. ' At least a wcek'sVfino" weather- was required m order to allow harvesting to bo -completed, and tluv rain will do great, damago to..crops in stook. • ' .Jjie weather experienced lately has brought the harvest on apace; states a southern paper. Tho crops,, however i- liave not ripened too : fafct, many genial..-.showers lalling/whilo the 1 turning was going on. Oiie -or two machines have already started, but cut-ting'will-not be general'for a few days •—probably about the end of tho week. Taking the. crops on tho wholc ; they aro good, some that." suffered in the, early part of tho season through too much wet have mado a wondertul recovery since New; Year, and crops promising well then have improved' to even 'better .things. • ■ . Somo caustic comments fell from Mr. A. Wellwood, of Hastings, judge of the pig section'at tho Danncvirke Show on Wednesday, states a Wairarapa exchange. .In one class only.ono pig had been entered, and, notwithstanding this, ho refused to make an award._ "It was hardito say," were Mr. Wellwood's remarks, "whether the animal 'was a white, or black one. It was in a dirty condition, and not creditable to any show.. It looked as if it had just been brought out ov the pig yard." . The judge added that if exhibitors failed to send their stock to the show ill a presentable manner, they would necessarily. liave to suffer /the consequences, so long as ho was judge. A farmer in the Sandon district is reported to have threshed 85 bushels to the acre from a crop of oats this sens'"!.. Some, heavy wheat crops alio also reported. The farm labour trouble is acute ill North Otago just, now, states 'a southern exchange. Grain is ripening fast, and everywhero the reaper is to be seen at work early and late, - and invariably under short-handed conditions. It is quite a common sight to see the farmer's entire household in tho fiel'd doing work that should he done by paid servants, owing to the latter not being available. It is stated that somo of tho grain threshed in tho Ashbnrton County this season has .been disappointing jis regards the yield, .being much less than, that procured from the same areas'last year. ' ■' -