FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 185, 15 January 1915, Page 6

FARM AND DAIRY.

A resident ■ who recently motored through to Wanganui recently told a 'li'.ianaki News reporter that he lias nner seen so lluieli cropping going on as is wow the ease between Waveiicy and V'.'.uiganui.

It is estimated that the average wiie.U yield in the Ashburton County this season will be about Uventv bushel; to tile acre. The dry season in Marlborough and the Wairarapa lias favored the rabbits which are said to have multiplied ap[roeiubly in tlic=e districts. Jn several part- of tin- Unwke's Bay district bunnylas been ncen in increasing numbers.

A rep>:-t reaches the Wyndllam Herald from Mokoreta of the failure of tlw I otaio crop in a peculiar manner in t'.te (T.-c of two growers. Only about one set ill i wenty gcriiriiwted, and on examination, the sets appeared to be quite sound, .hough t'hey gave no signs of life. In the one case it was ground, the farm'T being a considerable grower, and the ground was prepared in the usual way. In the second ease it was \irgin ground, out of fern and li.ix. This mav 'be classed as practically an absolute failure, for those which cam 3 tlirough were poc.r plants.

Questioned by an Express reporter as to the low values ruling for certain classes of stock, a representative of an auctioneering firm stated buyers were holding back for a further drop, which they assumed would occur owing to the droughty conditions in other parts. lie, however, predicted a sharp rise in a very short time. A Masterton small farmer had to sell his cows this week because lie had neither grass nor fodder with which to f.-ed them. The Canterbury Dairy Company established a record pay out for la-d. month, the suppliers getting the big sum of £13,0.30.

The crops of both wheat and barley in Tiangitikci compare favorably with any other part of the Dominion, and one, of the best in the country may be seen at Runsinano, on Mr Edward Newman's farm, where! there is a crop estimated to yield 50 bushels of oats or three tons'of oaten chaff to the acre. The oats are a splendid sample. The ground was top-dressed with 4cwt. of lime to the acre last autumn. There are also good crops of wheat and barley on the same farm. Jn view of the certainty of a great shortage in foodstuffs next year, it is to hoped that farmers in the Rangitikei will put in a large quantity of wheat this autumn. The war wheat around Turakina this season is looking splendid, and it is expected will turn out at fully .10 bushels to the acre.—Chronicle. Good progress is being made with the harvesting of the early oats in North Canterbury. .Most of the crops cut are very light, the December rains having come too late to be of any benefit to them. The frequent showers during the past three weeks have, however, worked a great change in the appearance of the later crops of cereals, and the yields will be very much better than anticipated in the early part of December. The root crops have also greatly benefited by the rain, and tlie peas anc? beans are looking well.

Tlie new wheat crop is about to be harvested, and the farmer is naturally wondering wdiat he is going to get for it (remarks a Wairarapa paper) lb knows beforehand that there will be a shortage, that Australia will have no exportable surplus, and that before another harvest comes round, the Dominion will have to import wheat from America and elsewhere. In the absence of any interference by the Government, it is quite likely that wheat will go as high as it did in lflO", when it touched (Is a bushel, says a contemporary. But the Government has fixed the price at 5s 3d, which tbe farmer, in view of the lightness of the crop, declares to be inadequate. It probably is, and no doubt pressure will be brought to bear on the Government to raise the price, although if some of the reports one hears 1 correct, it does not appear to matter much what prices are fixed. If the farmer cannot get his own price for his wheat, he seems to be able to get it for bis sacks, and the result is pretty much the same.

Jinny farmers have experienced great trouble from birds attacking thoiv turnip crops this season (writes the Wondon correspondent of the Mataura Ensign). Some fields have boon so badly attacked that only half a crop is now expected. The County Council is not buyin}; the eggs this season, and no doubt the rapid increase of young birds, together with the lack of wiirmfh to force tlie turnip ahead, have both assisted to bring about the trouble.

Mr. J. .1. Corrv. who is one of the best authorities on barley in New Zealand, and who by reason of his extcn. sive dealings in 'this line of the grain business is popularly known as the •TSarlev King" of the Dominion, stated to an Oiago Daily Times reporter during a. recent visit to Dunedin, that owing to the severe drought experienced ii,".Marlborough ever since .lime of last a ear. the vield of barley in the province tin's year' will lie very small indeed, lb estimates that the'total yield will be -.miething like 2.>.nnn sack's, wherea. in a favorable season it. is something like 10(1,11011 sacks, As Marlbor,ai".'i is the largest, barley-growing disIriet in the Dominion, there is every l-o—ibility of a shortage of barley this s:.is.,;i, and no douhi importing will ha\c to be resorted to. Th it crops in Marlborough, too. are in no better contion than the barley, and in manv e.e-e. thev were so bad thsv -.'.-.rulers | tit their sheep into the fields.