The Ellesmere Guardian. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 1891. THE HARVEST.

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume X, Issue 903, 22 April 1891, Page 2

The Ellesmere Guardian. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22 , 1891. THE HARVEST.

From the returns of Me W. 0. Walkeh, compiler of Agricultural we gather m e following details of the crops of this district for th« pas^ye^r. Of holdings over an acre in extent f; theie are m the County of Selwyanoless than 1661 freehold, 833 rented; dnd 277 parti/ freehold, partly rented, ox ja grand total of 2771 holding^'- Thtire are 14,211 acres broken up, but- not m crop"; Last season there were sown m; wheat, 50,344 acres, of which the grosd ; r produce was estimated at 857,451 bushels. In oats, for green feed, there were 16,120 acres ; for grain, 25,025 acres. The estimated yield was 452,405 bushels. 7,832 acres of barley produced 166,117 bushels. Maize and rye were only sown m small quantities. Peas were sown m 4,453 acres, yielding 91,452 bushels, and 873 acres of beansre turned 24,319 bushels. Ensilage does nob seeai a favourite method with our farmers, as only two silos are recorded _m. the county, but 3616 acres ara. sown to grass, yielding 4907 • tons df hays. 252,633 acres are m. grass after, f . haying been broken up (inclusive of those £ m hay), and there are 27,620 acres m grass which have -not come nnder the: plough.. 24,841 bushels ..of ryegrass seed were grown r ; 6.238 acres produced 35,805 tons of potatoes, 23,044 acres Vere sown in' turnips;; f1295 m mangels and other roots, and 753 acres were devoted to orchard purposes. Thus m the county there are 418,137 acres under crop and m grass. Less wheat seems to liava been so*vn m 1890 than; m tbejprejripua' jear, awl oats too, though much more extensively cultivated, met with a poor return. Barley remains about the same m area, but less m yield. Maize is a new crop. Peas also are about the same^a m the previous year, but beans have been considerably neglected. ...Hay has also fallen off, and the area jn!' grass seems about the Bame. A large increase m the potato harvest is noticeable. One remarkable feature is th>t almost all the entire previous 'year's 1 yield had been cleared off at the time the returns were t ken. When the statistics were collected m 1890, the quantities of 1889 grain remaining on hand were Tery large. This year, they are trifling; Taking Canterbury altogether, the yield is not a satisfactory one. The three counties, Selwyn, Akaroa and Ashburtcn, give a total yield of 2,068,988 bushels wheat, 1,115,259 bushels of oats, and 217,006 bushels barley. Last year the figures were respectively :— 2,953,533 ; 2.025,207 ; 329,920 ; thus showing; a falling off of 900,000 bushels m wlieac, as much m oats, and 110,000,. bushels m barley. And this, though there'were only 10,000 acres less sown m wheat, and there were 12,000 less sown m oats. Fortunately, the price will partly compensate for the deficiency.