SOUTH ISLAND CROPS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 65, 10 December 1917, Page 8

SOUTH ISLAND CROPS

PESTS AND DISEASES. "Agricola," in the "Farmers' Union. 'Advocate," says:—"The crops are feeling the dry weather worse tnian anything on the farm, they having reached the stage at which moisture ia wanted, and wanted badly if 'they are to shoot out successful and fill properly, raking the crops as a whole, they are very patchy indeed, and their state is caus- , wg no little alarm to growers, and to millers and merchants as well. It is true that there are a lot of very good crops, and the yields in these cases wnf go anything up to fifty to sixty tmehelß if things go on all right for the next month. But unfortunately there are some areas that will not oe worth reaping, and for several reasons. 'In the first place, rust has got a hold in some districts consequent upon the muggy weather that we have had during the last month. . . . Various fac■tors have had the effect of weakening the resisting powers of the plantß, and they are now showing a tendency to succumb to'the attacks of rust and oflier diseases and peets. It has been .found that whole patches of wheat m .some of the paddocks bave died right ■ out: indeed in some cases 75 per cent, of the Btuff has gone, and is fit for nothing. Investigation has led to the belief that the cause of the trouble is a. small brown earth-worm that eats Th'e tenßer rootlets, which-are so necessary to the life and health of the plant. . .The plants; are quite dead, : and will never be any" good for anything except for hay. Then in other parts of the wheat-growing districts there come reports of a blight attacking crops; a blight something like_ aphis in appearance. ... It seems as if some of the pests from the Old Country, which we have not been troubled with hitherto, have,made their appearance for the first time. -If disease and Wight go on increasing, the lot of the wheat-grower will be anything but a good one, and the; chances are that these drawbacks will further discourage the cropper. Rust is prevalent on the oats, both in the early sowings and the late crops.