SPRING PROSPECTS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 11, 8 October 1917, Page 8

SPRING PROSPECTS

1 COUNTRY IN SOUTH ISLAND AT ITS BEST. As the result of the rains following Ofl a, mild winter the country is looking its very best (states the special correspondent of the "Farmers' Union Advocate"). Indeed, 1 don't think that I have ever 6een it looking much bettor than it is at the present time. Travelling along in the train it presents one long stretch of unbroken green, throughout the length and breadth of tho island. Bight •lack to the tussooky hills the grass and crops during the last fortnight have grown amazingly, and tho appearance of the country reminds one of Hawke's Bay ■ as it appears at this time of the year. - So lino is the appearance of the farming districts that it forms the chief topic of conversation when farmers meet each other, The only "fly in the ointment" is .the fact that the land is far too wet "to allow any work to be done with the teams. The soil is thoroughly saturated, ■ and it will take a. week or ten days to put it right on tho stiffer clay lands, where a good deal of cropping is done. 'On the lighter alluvial and sandy soils the teams were going in. the beginning of the week, but whero the land is at all ! retentive it will take some drying to put it into condition for working. Pools of wafer are everywhere to be seen. The trouble is that no sooner does tho land 'get fit for the horses to get on to than St is time for it to rain again. On many farms practically nothing in the way of sowing crop has been possible since the end of August, so that it will be Feen that the area of spring crop sown is very small indeed. It is now too late for wheat, though a few acres may ba tried where everything is ready for it j as soon as the ground dries. But the "jnajority of the farmers will consider it I . too muoh of a gamble to put wheat in 'At this time of the year. Too much de"pends upon, the weather. Besides many ■pf us have got in very few of our oat! '"And we are beginning to think that it is time that they were sown if they 'are to have a chance of succeeding. We " innst have . horse feed for ffie ensuing year. Then winter crops sown' are -looking extremely well. In fact they- are too flash altogether. Some of them appear as .if they are running up towards the shot blade, so rank and strong • are they. It has been impossible to feed

them down, with the result that there is too much flaggy growth. If the season should continue to be even a moderately damp one, there will be far too much straw, and the crops on the stronger lands will become lodged. Even the late sown spring crops ore coming away very last and they look almost as well as some of the winter sowings usually do at this time of the year. Except on tho heavy lands it is remarkable how free tho orops are of weeds, ami the growth is so rapid that it is not likely timt weed growths will get much of a chance.. The' grass grubs seein to be not so activo as tliey wore, and so far as one can see they ale not going to do such a great deal of damage, except in some isolated districts, where the conditions are favourable to them. I am afraid that the Minister of -Agriculture will be a good deal disappointed when he gets the result of the census that is now being taken of the area puf down in cereal crops. It is not possible that it will come up to his requirements. But. there is every prospect at the present time of the yield being above tho average, which is something. If there is not some slogging work in store for some of lis this harvest, I am no good at all as a prophet. l It is sincerely to be hoped that, the weather will continue fine so that we can get in our oats and our rape and early turnips within a reasonable time. >