DUNEDIN PRODUCE REPORT.

Southland Times, 2 March 1864, Page 2

DUNEDIN PRODUCE REPORT.

■\VYliave r reliable information this week from the | agrieul,tara : l.;clistrict3,.and tt appears that finer or; heavier' crops baye^everVeen known in the ProvinciTthan those "of the "present i season. It is trne that the. only' grain cultivated to any extent is oats, but the article js, so superior to any thing from abroad, and thieyield so 'abundant,' that little apprehension need be entertained.as toa profit by those > of our, farmers who dispose of fheir crops judi- | ciotisiyi "~'H i is estimated that one-tenth" of the grain j crops in the Province is wheat. The climate is not j so favourable fo'rthegrowtli of tMs grain as for oats, : "bat during the present "season the limited quantity grown has been remarkably luxuriant and heavy in the ear. .Unfortunately, , however, where the crops were' prfett^ripV and exposed, the^ loss 'from high ■wind has" been "very- severe. One farmer oh the Taieiirestimates hislossiat over LBoo* some seventy acres of wheat having been, so^. beaten upas to be fit only for the chaff-cutter.' 'The barley has suffered in a similar manner. '- "OaWnot'h'aviiig "been 'so well matured, sustainedlittle^orTip.mjary^f.fThe reaping machines are now aU busily at .work ; we are still in the midst as^far as ; our great crop, oats, is concerned ;~andthe~season ; is still a critical one, for whateyerimay; be^said <: about, predicting changes of weather, those'changes are so sudden in New Zealand, that no observatibn""'of atmospheric 'phenomena can enable, usjtOipredictij-what (may occur /from ;one day to another; The only precaution that can be taken isto push on the work ; as- the grain ripens, not to rely upon thA^scythejibut^to employ the reaping machine, where practicable.. Harvest ought to be over byHhe middle of ■March/ -but many farmers drag along slowly and will not have saved their grain before the end of 'the month.] The; work of stacking ■hay is now f: progressing..rapidly, and the crop is over the average/" Tlie pptAtoe^crop 'is most • abundant, the produce especiiiUyion some nof* the new, ;bush land being marvellous. We have never in any country, seen finer crops than those of Green Island and the Taieri. The time fog^gathering will be April. Of root cropsthequanMy produced is by no means so large asjjtesfeojddlhav^^een:; ; There, ;isjeyery, ,ex : cuse for neglecting turnips, but nonefor not going largely into marigolds, Afield ' carrots/ -parsnips and onions. Our farmersjare too much, afraid of painstaking labour,, and to tell the truth there a,re .top / few,amongouTjrorking.people.who_haye studied the. art of horticulture.; 5 Even ■ as, regards v the;- work of the farm, there isa len'eral "complaint of the want of •expei^Si^'iagricultu^^ahonrers.'la i^iu^i^ T x l \* There is a jvpry ; ; .^ among the fanning community as to the want of a public laar-

Iket^place in Dunedin, and it is ■ surprising that the sagacity of our authorities has not led them to foresee^tfiat such a convenience -would be required. V The. interests of -'.the city demand that no time- should be ldsji';in ;; providing accommodations: so necessary. Country people coming to town are completely lost in their endeavours, to find customers. Inno other place of the sizejand pretensions of Dunedin, is tlxere such gross iieglect, in respect to accommodation for the sale of agricultural 2)roduce. No change lias taken piace in the wholesale prices of grnin. Owing to the state of our markets and the prospect of a large crop of oats, the last cargo of that grain received here a few days since from California, has been sent on to Auckland. At one time last year, new oats were 9s, and "old crop 10s 6d tolls. It is now difficult to Realise 5s Cd. The stock of imported hay has been greatly reduced, and the market is in a much healthier state, quote loose hay of the new crop, at L7 to L8 ; best imported 18. . Great inconvenience has been experienced during the week, through the want of ;accommoda- ; tiohs for Aveighing loads of hay from the country. ' The -weighbridge at Jetty-street has been removed to ! Stuart-street, and replaced, by a ' splendid new machine, which it is expected will lie in readiness for vise ! in a day or . two. :We notice a slight decline in colonial potatoes, and quote at L 8 10s. Provincial, but a quantity remain at L 7 10s to LB. Recent , importations of onions have been very much damaged, and have sold below the figure ..last; quoted : but a sound article brings LI 8 and over. : DUNEDIN" LIVE STOCKS REPORT. - „. 1 Last, remarks will apply to cattle and sheep. In. the : horse niafket there has been some little stir, owing to the presence of put chasers from" the north » who iare on the look' out for heavy draughts. Knowing the state of our market, they are not inclined to advance, and rates are not unaltered. First-class heavy draught bring from L 55 to L 67 ; medium do, L3B to 47 ; inferior do, L2O to L3O ; first-class hacks and light harness horses, from L 26 to LBS ; medium and useful hacks from LI 4 to L 22; inferior do, Lslos.toLl2.