THE CROPS IN SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 297, 20 February 1878, Page 4

THE CROPS IN SOUTH CANTERBURY.

In a review of the condition of the crops, and the. prospects of harvest in South Cantcibury, iheTimaru herald says. We shall be near the mark in estimating the acreage sown in wheat in this district at fully one-third in excess d what it was lasi: year. Calculating on Inis then, wo find that the total acieago Oi wheal in the South Canterbury District for the present season is about 41,500 acres, the bulk of which promises a fancrop of good gram. A considerable portion of the crops, owing to the long drought, tv ill of course be light, ami in some instances will not even be harvested, the growers having turned their live stock into the fields; hut notwithstanding these drawback#, the present augurs to be an average one both as regards yield and value, and we folly expect to hear of less complaints from farmers, as a whule, than was the case last year. So fur as we have been able to ascertain, the yield of wheat this season may fairly be estimated at twenty bushels per acre, taking the general results throughout. Some farmers will undoubtedly reap much more than this, but on the other hand many win leap much less, and wo therefore think that from twenty to, allowing the very largest, margin, twenty-five bushels, will be the fall extent of the crops. At the average we have named this will give a total yield of, roughly speaking, 900,000 bushels, which again, after deducting local requirements in the shape of food and next years’s seed, will leave at least 750.000 bushels for export to foreign markets and the different ports of New Zealand. The quality from all appearance will be exceptionally good, provided, of course, that we have ordinary weather during harvesting. ,Samples of growing wheat that we have inspected afford every indication of good, sound, plump grain being gathered, of a fur superior quality to that of last year.