THE CROPS IN ASHBURTON COUNTY.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2145, 10 January 1881, Page 3

THE CROPS IN ASHBURTON COUNTY.

Harvesting ia just about commencing in the Aahburton county, and »o far na can bo judged by travelling through the different localities it will prove much superior to that of last year. Starting wUh Bangitata South, we found the crops equal to expectation. Here the land i'b pretty good, and tho yield per acre will bo very fair. The estimated area of land under crop in this district is about 9000 acres, and an avorago yield of 25 bushels of wheat, 32 bushels of barley, and 40 bushels of oats to tho acre may be looked for. There are 11,000 aoreß of land under crop on tho Bangitata Island, but the soil there has been to a great extent croppod out, end would be better for a few years' rest. Some of the crops are poor, others are good, bat on the whole it will probably yield an average of 1 5 bushels of wheat, 25 bushels of barley,'and 30 bushels of oats to the aore. In the district from the Eangitata to the Hinds, at the seaside of the railway line, agrioulture bos been neglected, and the land devoted principally to pastoral pursuits. Here the landowners evidently regard sheep and cattle j as more remunerative than grain—a matter which is the more to be regretted, as the yield in most places will be far above the average. It ib difficult to form an estimate of the extent of land under crop in this district, but at a rough calculation it may be set down as about 7000 aores, from which an average yield of 50 bushels of grain per acre may be obtained. This includes some inferior crops, and in some places the yield will be considerably more. The next district takes in a large area of land, and lies between the Hinds and Ashburton rivers, including Winnlow, Tinwald, Wheatstone, Ashton, Waterton, and liongbeach. The dry weather, which continued np to very recently, interfered to a considerable extent with the crops in this district, and only for the welcome rain of tho last fortnight -the result of the harvest would scarcely bo satisfactory. The orops, however, have greatly improved under tho influence of the moist weathor, and on the whole a good average yield will be obtained. There are about 15,000 acres, amongst which there are paddocks which will turn out 40 bushels of wheat, 50 bushels of barley, and 60 to 65 bushels of oats per aore ; but there are others from whioh no more than 15 bushels of wheat, 20 of barley, and 25 of oata will be obtained. The orops in the district between the Ashburton Biver and the Wakanui Greek vary very much. Down towards the sea beach, where the land is heavy and of good quality, they are not equal to expectation, and the most that may be looked for there is 18 bushels of wheat and 40 bushels of oats per acre, without any barley worth speaking of. Between that place and the township of Ashburton the harvest prospects are more promising, in some places the crops being far above the average, while on the whole they will yield a good orop. There are some paddocks here whioh will yield 60 bushels of wheat 45 bushels of barley and from 75 to 80 bushels of oats, but there are others in which the yield will be about 15 bushels of wheat and 25 of oats, without any barley worthy of notice. There are altogether about 9000 aores under crop in the district. On the whole, it will run above the common average. The drought olso interfered with the crops on the plains below the railway line and between the Wakanui Greek and Ghertsey. The land is light, and the straw was very short, but the late rains, whioh scarcely came in time enough, effected a great improvement, and now tho ears are filling up well. Places which up to that time were expected to yield nothing at all will now produce 10 bushels per aore, and down towards the sea an average yield of 18 bushels of wheat and 35 of oats will be obtained. Some 12,000 acres under grain may be found in this district. There is very little barley in it, but what there is will turn out about 35 bushels to the acre. The land between Ghertsey and Bakaia on tho sea aide of the railway line is poor, and the crops are inferior. No estimate can be formed of the area of land under crop or of the average yield in this part of the country, further than that they are not worthy of much importance being attaohed to them. Turning back at the other side of the railway line, from Bakaia to Ghertsey, including Burr Hill, a great deal of tho land is found laid down in English grass, and sheep farming is carried on to a great extent. Still there are about 10,000 acres of crops there, whioh look well, and from whioh an average yield of 25 bushels of wheut, 20 of barley, and 30 of oats may be obtained. For about twenty miles inland from the railway line on the plains between Ghertsey and the Ashburton river there is very little barley prawn, but there are about 7000 acres of wheat and oats, which will yield about 20 bushels of the former, and about 35 bushels of the latter to the acre. Thence to the Hinds the orop of wheat on the railway reserve comprises the principal part of the grain grown in that district, 7000 aores being about the area under tillage. This will yield an average of 30 bushels per acre. The land thence to the Eangitata is medium plains land, which has not been much worked yet, but there are only 5000 aores of it under orop which will probably yield about 25 bushels of wheat per acre. There is scarcely any barley to be found in it, and no oats, except what will be required for horse feed. The orops in the district thence to Mount Bomero were put in late, and will, therefore, benefit most by the late rainfall. This district, howover, felt the severe hailstorm whioh passed over it recently, and some paddooks were completely destroyed. In one place 130 acres, and in another place 150 acres were out olean to the ground, scarcely a vestige being left standing, and there were several paddooks of smaller areas to whioh much damage has been done. There is in this district something about 11,000 acres under orop, which will possibly turn out a better yield owing to the recent favorable weather than was expected, but so far it may beset down at 25 bushels of wheat and 35 bushels of oats to the acre. Tho barley crop is very late, and no estimate of tho yield could be made. The best orops in the county are to be found between Mount Somers and Methven, where there is an area of 8000 acres under grain, whioh will yield 40 bushels of wheat, 50 bushels of barley, and 75 bushels of oats to the aore. In the Ashburton Forks district there are about 45,000 acres of land under a grain crop, and the averago yield will be about 25 bushels of wheat, 23 of barley, and 40 of oats to the acre. From the above figures, whioh of course are only tho result of a rough calculation, it will be seen that there are about 108,500 acres of land under crops in the county, whioh will yield an average of 34 bushels of grain to tho acre, making in all about 3,600,000 bushels. This estimate, of course, depends upon thoyield turning out according to what may be expected from tho gener.il appearance of tho crops at present. There is nothing now to be feared but rain, and should the crops be visited by any extraordinary fall of that element, it would have the result of changing the aspect of tho abovo figures considerably. In some of the diatricts a slight indication of smut has made its appearance, and the lato damp weather made some people fearful of rust getting into the cropß, but so far no harm has been done by either of these to any great extent. Taking the district as a whole, tho prospocts of the harvest are better than those of last yoar. The grain promises to be superior in quality, and is expected to weigh about 3lb more per bushel, whioh will be a greot consideration to millers. Tho bran will be cleaner, the sharps scarcer, and the flour superior in quality to that of last /ear.