FARM NOTES FOR THE MONTH.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2198, 12 March 1881, Page 3

FARM NOTES FOR THE MONTH.

[Whitten Specially pob the “Weekly Pbbsß.”l Harvest is pretty well finished in all districts by this time, thanks to tho exceptionally fine weather that has prevailed for the last five or six weeks. Although crops are not heavy in straw this year, they are splendidly filled in the ear, and will probably turn out more satisfactory to the grower than those of last year, which were more bulky and expensive to harvest. Wheat is the cereal most commonly grown, and it is pleasing to note that the general run of this crop is likely to yield a good sound and dry shipping sample ; so that, even if the price does not improve in the London market, farmers will have something to pocket in return for their long months of labour and anxiety, more especially

os the many labour-saving machines now obtainable have reduced the expense of raising and gathering the produce of the farm to a minimum. On comparing the price offered for wheat by ! coal buyers with that of the London market, the question arises, is it the better policy to sell at once at the best price obtainable here, or to send it Home and run the risk of making a lower or higher figure there t The majority of farmers prefer to take the latter course, and wisely too, for we are informed on good authority that there is every proba bility of the wheat market rising before the season is over. The failure ot the English wheat crop, and also that of Russia, to a great extent may have a slight influence on the wants of the London buyers, in spite of tho tremendous quantities supplied by America,

The large-berried spring wheats, as the Tuscan, purple ■ straw, pink - straw, &0-, seem to have the preference in the English market, and generally bring a better price than the smaller sorts of autumn wheat. On all the old established farms in North Canterbury the spring wheats are most commonly sown, chiefly because farmers find that they cannot get their land free from the turnip or other root crops in time for sowing autumn wheat, and the strong flat land in the Christchurch district seems to be more suited for this description of wheat than the downs or undulating lands westward and southward. In South Canterbury there is still a large quantity of land in tussock, which is treated in the old plan of being broken up in the summer, and after lying fallow a few months, is cross-ploughed and sown to wheat immediately after harvest. Those farmers who have not much land to prepare for early wheat should put on the ploughs as soon as possible after harvest, and get some rape sown on the stubbles, which will have plenty of time to come to a good bite of feed ere winter, especially as harvesting is over very early this season. The long spell of dry weather we have had lately will have dried up the pastures, and all kinds of feed will probably be very scarce through the winter and valuable in proportion. Grass seeds may be sown this month in well prepared ground, with every change ot furnishing a good fresh bite for the early lambs in the spring. Oat stubbles, if skimmed with the plough or harrowed at once, will throw up a tolerable amount ot feed if many grains have been lost in harvesting, and the green food can either be fed off or ploughed in preparatory to sowing barley or spring wheat. Barley seem* to be very little grown this year, and stocks will probably get so reduced very soon that this grain will be in good demand again. Farmers, like the Canterbury weather, generally run to extremes, and instead of having a little of everything on hand each year, altogether neglect that branch of agriculture which for a time is unprofitable, until it becomes in good demand, when they have it not, and the next year the chances are that every farmer grows it, and it sinks to its old level. Dairy farming, for instance, has not been a very profitable industry for a few years past, and in many cases sheep have taken the place of the milch cows, but the success of the shipment of butter by the freezing process may give such an impetus to the demand for dairy produce that tho milk-pail will have the advantage over tho shears in bringing profit to the pocket of the agriculturist. Farmers to be successful must look far ahead and duly take into consideration the many causes and effects which are likely to bring about any fluctuation in tho supply and demand of any kind of farm produce. With regard to the oat crop, growers cannot do better than send all tho best milling samples to feed the millions of England. But until the large stocks of wheat are worked off freights for oats are not likely to be obtained, so that the oats will have to remain in stack for a time, care being taken to strap them down os a precaution against the devastating effects of the autumnal nor’welters.