CANTERBURY CROPS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 101, 22 January 1918, Page 8

CANTERBURY CROPS

RUST, MILDEW, .AND BLIGHT. ' Sunsjiine is needed for tho crops, which are not ripening as they should da (says "Agricola," the South" Island correspondent of tho "Farmers' Advocate"). , A moiith ago there was a promise of an earJy harvest; but now the grain is hanging, waiting for suitable ripening weather. The straw and the chaff is turning a bad colour, being very dark in appearance JUist, mildew, and blight is in'svidenco in many of the paddocks,.and;the sample ]n a great many instances' cannot be as good , as it has been during tho past few years when the weather was drier and the crops smaller.' On the heavy lands it is almost heart-breaking to see tho stuff that is badly lodged. Hundreds of acres will never-be reaped at all owing to tho impossibility of picking the straw up with the machines. In any case most-of it would not be worth the reaping as the grain will ue shrivelled and discoloured, fit only, for seconds and. for pig and fowl 'feed; * Even whera the. crops are standing up the colbur'of the stuff is not good, and it is just a chance if the sample will he bright and clean. However, it.is fou early to"say much about that as yet. If the weather' would only come out . hot and sunny the position would still be saved in the districts where the crops are a bit late. In the northern portion of the island there is soma 'wheat ready for the thrasher when the '.stocks get dry and the grain hardens, . .arid' there are also some oats fit for • .the. stack and the mill. There is n - considerable area of early oats abont '•this'season, raostly-Duns and Algerians, "'and'they are being harvested in ail ■directions. There are: some'very good "c'rops'-too, tthpugh:-some of them were i.'too'iar advancea to get the benefit if ..the-'.December.rains...'The , late-sown if crops'.that' were suffering from the cf- • ifects of the dry spell in-November have i'tnaSe.- wonderful growth, and, will now :"be very-good crops, if tho damp wea'lher does not cause tho rustrto get too *„h'ig a; hold on them.