CROPS AND LIVE STOCK

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 68, 13 December 1919, Page 10

CROPS AND LIVE STOCK

PROSPECTS IN THE MANAWATU DISTRICT. By Telegraph—.Special Correspondent. Palmerston North, December 12. Cold winds, with but little moisture, havo been experienced during tho past week throughout the ilanawatu, and there has been but. little growth. A run through the district shows that tho oat crops will .be particularly light,'most of them coming into ear before the stalks had readied any height, and this augurs badly for supplies of chaff and straw for tho coming winter. Although there has been a little growth of grass, substance is lacking, and although feed is not absolutely scarce it is anything but plentiful, and stock generally are not looking too well, while the supply of milk to the factories is most disappointing. .Matters in Ilawke's Bay, however, aro said by travellers to bo much worse than here, with the result thai. largo numbers of both sheep and cattle, more 1 especially tho latter, aro boing sent over to this coast, and are glutting the saleyards. Several speculators, who havo feed here, have been over to tho East Coast, and havo purchased forward lines of steers, whicli if thev can finish off should give them a good return. A farmer who has just returned from a visit ito Ilawke's Bay says that things so far as feed are concerned are extremely bad there, and lliat many cows which got down in condition'during the. winter have not be6n able to pick up again with the dry season, and are succumbing, while a number of lambs aro also dving. "Tho season here if extremely backward, and so far very little rape and turnips has been sown, but there is a good deal of land turned over already for operations as soon as tho weather is propitious. A fairly heavy rain fell on Thursday afternoon, and was followed by a nice mild day on Friday, which will do a certain amount of good but a good deal more moisture and heat is required to put the grass and crops in - ,the position they should be at this season." There is, however, a fair demand for forward cattle and young heifers, and good lines of ewes and lambs aro sought after, but backward cattle and sheep aro neglected. In spite of the high prices ruling for land, farms continue to change hands, and so far as can lie seen at present tliero is no sign of the demand slackening off.