THE HARVEST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume III, Issue 115, 19 March 1853, Page 6

THE HARVEST.

We have much pleasure in giving insertion to the following, communication which Mr. Brittan has fonvarded to us. Nothing can be more gratifying than the fact there advanced of the productiveness of the Canterbury soil. Seventy bushels and upAvards of wheat to the acre is noAv un fait accompli, and considering that this has. resulted from nature alone, unaided by art beyond simple labour, we may well have reason to rejoice, and foresee a future when the plains around Christchurch shall teem Avith abundance. We hope that others will follow Mr. Brittan's example and afford, through the medium of our columns, the results of their labours. We append tp Mr. Brittan's letter several horticultural wondersj which attest the fertility of Canterbury.

Silt, —The following brief statement of. facts, as shoAying the Corn-groAving capabilities of the soil on the Plains, may perhaps not be altogether uninteresting to your readers.

In the autumn of last year I had 13 acres (part of my rural section adjoining the . Bricks, Christchurch) laid down to .wheat. The land,. which. was originally . covered with tutu, fern, and grass, had been broken up the previous year and had borne a first crop partly wheat, partly potatoes. The land Avas ploughed about the latter end of March and remained falloAV until the last week in May when, having been first lightly harrowed, it was soAvn Avith wheat, broad cast, two bushels to the acre. The soil being very light, the plough folloAved the sower, and covered the seed to the depth of about three inches. In the spring, when the young wheat was about two inches* above ground, it was well rolled with a heavy horse roller. The crop carae.;up very .thick-and,/.grew most, luxuriantlyvjand in January, when it was reaped, the straAv averaged between four and six feet (in many places it was upwards of six feet) in height. Being desirous of ascertaining beyond question the exact yield per acre, I had one acre accurately measured off by a Surveyor, and the crop from this acre Avas carefully kept apart and stacked by itself in the field until it could be thrashed.. On .Monday last it was thrashed put oy Mr. Ashby's machine, and was found to yield of clean dressed wheat, fit for the mill, seventy bushels and a peck ! The grain was remarkably fine and plump, and weighed sixty-four pounds to the bushel! The yield of straAv was very heavy, and more than proportionally large. The land on which this crop was grown is a .light sandy loam certainly not better than,.if .indeed so good as, the average of land I have seen on the plains. It had no manure, and nothing whatever was done to it beyond what has been stated above.

I must apologise, sir, for trespassing on your space at such length, but I,.cannot help, thinking that the-publication from time to time of a few well authenticated facts of this kind would be very useful in a young Settlement like ours where we have yet much to learn, and I trust that others better able than myself, and possessing more extensive experience in agriculture than I can boast of, may be tempted to folloAv the example I have thus ventured to set.

I have the honour to be, , Sir, ■ Your very obedient servant, W. G. Bhutan-.

P.S. The following, facts may not be an inappropriate appendage to the above, as serving to show the pastoral . capabilities of this country, as the. above statement does its agricultural :—I have ascertained that the increase this year of the flock of sheep* noAV on my Station on the Halsewell, and under charge of Mr. Burke, is over 100 per cent, and the clip of wool a very large average, the wether hoggets clipping upwards of. 5 lb. each. That is to say the fleeces of fifty wether hoggets were put into one pack and found to weigh 280. lbs.