WHEAT AND OATS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 126, 21 February 1919, Page 8

WHEAT AND OATS

% '.-ESTIMATED .YIELD?.

Th'a following estimated average yield -per - aoro of wheat and oats for the sea£on 1918-19 have" been compiletl from reports furnished by; fields inspectors of the 'Department ot Agriculture throughout the Dominion, and are published iu .the Gazette ;-i Wheat. Oats. Bushels Tushels '-. '- per per \ District- acre. acre. 'Aucklalid 23.00 80.43 .Hawke's Bay. . 25:42 , , 31.15 Taranaki 22.18 28.78 .Wellington'-- 22.99 30.82 Nelson 20.00 . . 30.00 Marlborough "26.50 43.27 Canterbury 28.47 35.44 Otago 29.41 35.30 Southland 25.35 33.41 Average estimated for i the Dominion, sea-* ■■ •Vson 1918-19 . 28.32 34.90 'Average '(actual), for ,the, ..---/V .'' Dominion; : season. .t 1917-18 24.23 .31.01 In accordanoe with tho above estimates, the total yield of wheat for the-Domin--ioa should be approximately ,- 6,205,000 'bushels, as against ail. actual yield of 6,807,530 busliels in' 1917-13. • -The percentage of the oat. crop thrnshid in 1916-17 was 31.44, 1 and in 1917-18 82:00. Assuming that a similar propor- ■ tion is thrashed this year; the total ' yield of grain should bo 5,140,000' bushels The -oats thrashed in tho previous season yielded 4,942,759 bushels. ■. - .' t.'Owing to the wet and cold season exs. perienced, the harvest will, lie exception-' .ally late, and whether the above esti#ates lrill be. realised, depends on. the. : weather during, the -next few .weeks: "'■The roport? ■of the field inspectors as ■ to the condition of .the crops in the vari- : ous districts may be briefly .summarised :as ~ ; Auckland.—The groin crops in 'this district, are'prinoipallj' used for chaffing or for green " fodder. Generally speaking, they are in fair, ' clean condition, although light. Hawke's Bav.-Cro.ps light, but in good condition. Harvesting has been commenced in'parts of tlie district, and the weather so far is favourable. 'Taranaki.—Some good crops are to be seen, but in most cases grain not well 'filled. Caterpillar has appeared in places. ' ■ , , , Wellington.-Some crops, particularly oats, are' good; others stunted and light in grain owing to unfavourable season. Nelson.—There are_ some very fine / crops, but yields generally will not be heavy.' Blight is in evidence to a small ■extent. ' ' Marlborough.—W.itli the exception of Awatere County, wheat crops'are in good condition. Oats fair to good' through- - .'-'Canterbury.—Wet.', .weather.- retarded • tlie growth' of crops,;but-:r«jently considrible improvement 'hiis J tnkeh ; place. Harvest 'will be late, but, with reasonably good iweather, yields should;, be ;better . than last year. . 'J ' / 'Otago.Crops generally,,.in good, clean, condition, but' heavy rain's have done siderable damage in parts. Southland,— I There a're some good crops, but in most cases yiehLwill be onljs.fnir owing to continued wet and cold weather.