HARVEST PROSPECTS FOR 1882.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2772, 10 February 1882, Page 2

HARVEST PROSPECTS FOR 1882.

THE CROPS IN SOUTH CANTER BURY. W AIM ATE COUNTY. This county extends from the Pareora river to the Waitaki, and embraces the large new agricultural district of the Hakateramea. The crops in this district are exceedingly good, and . taken altogether they do not seem to have suffered so much from drought as the crops in the adjoining county of Geral dine. For years past the crops in this county have shown the highest average. Commencing the inspection on the northern side of the county, viz, the district lying between the rivers Pareora and Otaio, it may be stated that there is nearly as much crop as last year. There is not so much crop in the eastern portion of the'district—in the vicinity of the flourishing and neat little township of St Andrews—but there is a large quantity of good crop im the upper portion, oh the farms sold along time ago by the New Zealand f and Australian Land Company. The bulk of the grain in this part of the district is wheat, but there is also a fair proportion of oats. Both crops will yield well. On the opposite side of the Otaio the crops on the Bankfield estate look as well as usua l , and they ought to thresh out well. Farther up the valley, in the direction of Mr Pidgeon’s, and in the vicinity of Bluecliffs, there is a fair amount of wheat and oats, and a little barley, but the area under cultivation is not so large as last year. The yield will be fully up the county average. There is not much crop on Eskbank this year. Following on by the road past Mr Agnew’s to the top of the downs, the crops are found to be yielding well. Mr Armitage has between 400 and 500 acres of excellent wheat near the township of Tavistock. The crop on the slope of the hill just behind the township is the best. It is beautifully clean, and the sample is plump ana good. It suffered slightly by the nor*-west wind, but it should still yield an average of nearly 40 bnshels. On the direction of Teschemaker’s bush, and on the west side of the station homestead, there is a large area of land broken up and lying in fallow for wheat next year- Very little crop is met with till reaching the Hunter school, near the head or the Makikihi Valley. There is a fair quantity of wheat and oats on and in the vicinity of Mr Bourn’s farm. These crops will give a good average yield, considering the dry season, bat it will hardly come np to that of last year. There is not so much crop down the valley in the direction of the township, as a good deal of the land has been laid down in grass. On the downs, sooth of this valley, there is a large amount of first-class crop, chiefly wheat. Hunter’s White is the description mostly grown, but there are two or three splendid fields of Velvet and White Tuscan. There is also an excellent crop of barley on the rise just behind the farm lately owned by Mr Finlay. Taking the whole of the downs from Makikihi, across the head of the Hook Valley, and running beyond Waituna Creek to the remnant of the Waimate bush, they are covered with more crop than in any former year. There is’about twice as much wheat as oats, and most of the crops are good, though some of them have suffered from the wind. Crops are grown this season right up on the foot of the hills. Taking the whole breadth of this district down to the Main South road it contains an enormous quantity of crop, none of which can be seen from the road or railway line. From the Otaio Bridge to Waimate there is also a large amount of crop. The grain grown on the heavy swamp land on the seaward side of the land is yielding extremely well. The straw is long, but the ears are long and also well filled. Messrs Boyle and Reeves have some really good wheat on their farm, which should yield an average of 40 bushels per acre, bnt the land in this part is so rich that good crops are a matter of course. Some spring wheat (Tuscan) in the valley behind Mr Andrew Martin’s house has turned out a failure on account of the dry season. It is a noticeable fact that in most cases spring-sown wheat has not been successful this season. At Makikihi Quinn Bros, have some heavy crops —wheat and oats. Some of the former will yield 60 bushels. Some wheat crop on the downs side, the property of Mr H. B. Johns-

ton, is very clean, plump, and of good quality, though not so heavy as Quinn Bros.’ crop. Further on, at the Hook, there is the heaviest crop of wheat in the.district; but, unfortunately, part of it got laid by the rain, and the other part was badly blown out by the norwesters. Originally, this crop gave promise of producing a yield of quite 70 bushels per acre, but if it yields 40 bushels now its owner will be fortunate. On the Waimate flat, and down to and beyond the Waihao, there are some of the best wheat crops in the country. Mr M. Studholme has between 2000 and 3000 acres of wheat, and about 1500 acres of oats. The former ought to average 40 bushels. He has also a grand lot of barley, which was harvested and stacked before the wetweather came on. It should fetch a high figure. The crops at Hakaterumea are very good this year. There is a good deal of wheat grown in this district, and it promised a heavy yield, but the nor’-west wind shook a good deal of it out. In concluding this notice, it may be stated that the harvest weather now experienced is not very favorable for gathering in the crops, but the showers of rain have made the grass grow again, and the burnt-up appearance of the pastures has fortunately disappeared. The estimated averages for the Waimate County are : —Wheat, 26 to 28 bushels ; oats. 28 to 30 ; barley, 25 bushels per acre. Potatoes should yield about 4 tons per acre.