The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1878.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 321, 15 May 1878, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) WEDNESDAY, MAY 15, 1878.

AVk aro indebted lo Mr J. Guy, who is in charge of the Patea Steam Threshing Company’s machine, for the following actual' returns of threshed wheat and oats. The average return of wheat on seventeen farms from Waverlcy to Fatea, as given in figures, is 384 bushels to the

acre. As, however, only 4 bushels has been allowed - per sack, which is a quarter bushel less than fair average, the actual yield per acre would he over 40 bushels. The following aro some of the highest in wheat; More ton and Lupton, Waverlcy, 30 acres, yielded 55 bushels to the acre ; P. Buiko, Whemiukuni, 9 acres, yielded 55 bushels to the acre;' Captain Ncwland, 20 acres, yielded 15 bushels to the acre ; John Johnson, 9 acres, yielded 43 bushels to the acre; Bradley Brothers, 30 acres, yielded 40 bushels to the acre; James Dickie, IS acres; yielded 40 bushels to the acre; Donald Coutts, 18 acres, 40 bushels to the acre. Some of Mr Coutts’ crop run very high, but a good breadth was almost hare, thus -the average was greatly reduced. In oats; Donald Coutts, 3 acres, yielded at the rate of 00 bushels to the acre; James Claguo, 2’T. aip-es, yielded 60 bushels to the acre; W. 1)enroll, i I acres, yielded 55 bushels to the acre; James Dickie, 12 acres, yielded 50 bushels to the 1 acre; E. Mercer, 1! acres, 50 bushels to the acre; A. .Davidson, 28 acres, 45 bushels to the acre: Moroion and Lupton, 20 acres, 40 bushels to the acre. The average of II farms was' 42 bushels to the acre : — reckoned at 4 bushels only to the sack. From enquiries made, it was ascertained that spring wheat had yielded the highest. Winter wheat, in general, had been the host tilled. Both spring and winter wheat filled best on fern or virgin land. Spring wheat Was most prolific, with long straw, hut not so well filled from grass paddock. In all eases where sheep had boon allowed to eat down the grow-

ing wheat or oats in spring, the crops had stood upright, and were the more easily reaped, the straw proved to be cleaner, and the grain better filled. Great inconvenience and loss, was occasioned at harvest, on some farms, through the long straw which had been made, having been beaten down by the wind avid fain. As showing the advantage of the growing crops being eaten off in spring by sheep, wc may mention that the Messrs Jirewer, who had experimented on one part of their crop, calculated that they would have berm £IOO bettei off, had' they allowed the sheep to mu over the whole of the land sown by them in grain. Testimony to the value of eatingdown by sheep is plentiful, and we think the plan will be generally adopted in Pntea next spring.