WHEAT AND OATS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 56, 30 November 1918, Page 10

WHEAT AND OATS

h AREAS UNDER CROP. ■' The estiinited areas under wheat and j oats for the season 1918-19 are shown in I'this jnonth'e 'official Abstract of Statis- ■ tics. -As was done in I'JIG and in 1917, I cards were sent out by post to grain- ! growers throughout the Dominion asking I them to state wlwt areas! they had sown i or proposed to sow in wheat and oats ; this season. . ! The estimates are based on the figures {'obtained by a. tabulation of the cards ' returned:— •' ;.•'••■.■• ■ ' WJieat. ' Oats. '■■'Areas,'l9l7-18: Acres. Acres. ;. For threshing ....280,978 150,202 i-. For chaffing, etc. ... 2,258 311,310 : Total harvested 283,230 d67,5i8 ; ■ Not harvested 2,835 20,658 I' Grand totals ...... 280,071'.' 488,170 ■ Areas, 1918-19 (estimated): . North Island 5,300 ' 51,800 i South Island .220.000 " 408,800 !,;' Totals 225,300 160,800 ! The Minister of Agriculture has drawn ■attention already to the important reiduction in the area under wheat. I'. . — i

'■ "Boyd Cable," of whoso books about ■ the war "Front Lines" is the latest, is ! the' pen-iuuM of Captain E. G. ;Ewart, of the British Army. Cap- ! tain Ewart was well known in Syd:iioy for some years—under his own nnme 'as a business man, and under his penjname as a writer of descriptive articles, :.verse, and stories. Ho returned to Engi land six or seven years ago,

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE GOOD.CROP PBOSPECTS IN AUCKLAND; i Optimistic opinions .regarding the prospects of the produce market during the coining season are l.eld by some of the Auckland produce merchants, states the "Herald." The representative of a prominent produce auctioneering firm stated on Wednesday that excellent crops of all kinds of farm produce were expected, the oat crops throughout the Auckland district looking particularly well. He predicted a. considerable drop in the ( price of chaff .and oats as soon as the' crops now growing were placed on the 7 market, provided that favourable weather was experienced for-harvesting operations. A greater quantity of Algerian seed oats had been sown in the Auckland district this season than had been the case for several years, and the reports from all 'localities regarding the oat crops were extremely good. .He had just completed a tour of the country districts, and had been greatly impressed with the crops he had "seen, many of which were now well forward. If the harvest results expectations he was of opinion that the farmers would do well, even if they had to market their chaff at half the price now realised for. chaff of'good quality—that is, ,£l7 a ton. He added that, in vjew of the likelihood of greatly improved shipping facilities for the transport of southern oats and chaff to Aupkland, there appeared to be every prospect of horse feed pricee returning to pre-war figures. Prospects in regard to potato and onion crops this season are said to be exceptionally good. Early potatoes are coming on to the market freely, and are realising from 2d. to 2Jd. a pound. Most of the crops have escaped the blight this season, ,and the quality of the tubers is excellent. Heavy crops, are ficin* dug in. most of the potato-growing'dis-tricts, and during, the next . fortnight large consignments are expected to reach the markets. The later crops are now well forward, and are stated to be very promising. -- ■ . ■

The first of the Auckland onion crop is expected to reach the market during the next three weeks, and the main crop probably will be to hand , early in January. The high prices realised for last seasons onions induced many small growers and householders to plant freely thie season, and as the weather has been exceptionally favourable for growth, heavy crops are expected. Market garden produce generally is stated' to be plentiful, as a result of the favourable weather experienced.