AGRICULTURAL REPORTS.

Motueka Star, Volume II, Issue 72, 22 April 1902, Page 4

AGRICULTURAL REPORTS.

' . —o — „ From the reports for March of the Department of Agriculture’s inspectors, the following information as to the condition of crops and stock in that month has been compiled : Auckland (Northern districts).— Maize, potatoes and turnips were in good order. Feed appears to be plentiful, and the health of the stock was, on the whole, good A few cases of colic and influenza in horses, and of tuberculosis in pigs were reported. The weather was much more showery than usual in , March, and in consequence feed had grown rapidly, and root crops had benefited. Hawke’s Bay.—ln Cook and Waiapu counties the linseed crop was harvested in fine weather. The maize crop promised well. Turnips and potatoes would be quite average crops. The pastures were reported to be looking well, owing to the recent rains. The stock were healthy, and in good condition: The weather was very dry for part of the month ; then showery. Taranaki.—Root crops and winter feed were looking well. Generally feed was plentiful, though on the coast it was somewhat scarce. The stock were in good health. The weather was all in favour of growth.

Wellington.-—ln N( rth Wairarapa the root crops were not up to the average, and the potatoes were patchy. The reports from South Wairarapa were more favorable. The pastures were, however, very dry. though around Maurice ville and Pahiatua feed was plentiful, especially in the Bush districts. On the coast runs the pasture was dried up. The stock were healthy. Nelson.—The hops this season were rather a light crop, and the picking was interrupted by .showery weather. Turnips and potatoes promised well. The condition and the health of the stock were satisfactory. The weather was somewhat wet.

Canterbury.—The wet weather experienced in the south seemed to have injured the harvest to a considerable extent. Feed, no doubt, was plentiful, but of a very soft nature. Otago.—The returns from Northern Otago were of a very gloomy character. Wheat, oats and barley which were not harvested early all seemed to have suffered heavily, a large quantity of crop being in stook when the returns were sent in. The weather' was exceptionally wet, and the grain was much discoloured. Feed of a sort was plentiful, though stock were reported to be in a low condition.

Southland.—The weather seemed to have been fine, and the farmers there would no doubt harvest their crops in better condition than those further north