THE HARVEST.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1567, 19 March 1887, Page 3

THE HARVEST.

The following ii Mr W. de G. Beeves' report upon the harvest in Canterbury, Otago, and Southland . " The replies to mj oiroular asking for information about the present harreit give, on the whole, favorable reports. The winter, sown wheats suffered a great deal from the extraordinary amount of rain that fell in May and August, bo much so that a large area had to be ploughed and resown with wheat or oats. No doubt we should have neen a very large increase of land under wheat this year but for these exceptional rainfalls, which effectually prevented farmers from getting on to their land to do the necessary work till too late in the staion to sow wheat, atd consequently oats had to be sown instead. This, of course, applies more to heavy land. The quality of the wheat will be very good this year, and favorable weather was experienced all through the harvest; and though no porticularly heavy yields are heard of, the crops generally are expected to be quite up to the average. The area of land sown in barley seems to grow less every year, and the quality this season will not be high, as the grain is reported to be rather lean'and inclined to be flinty. The increased area of oats is largely owing to the late winter rains, as a great deal of land had been prepared for wheat, but owing to the floods it had to be eown in oats. A great deal of land was broken up pasture, and in very good heart, eo the oats this year ought to be of good quality. In a few instances rust has appeared, but happily the damage is insignifioant, and although the straw may be rather short, the yield may be safely calculated as a good average one all round, and the sample;will be of a good colour, though perhaps hardly as plump as might be wished, Turnips, as usual, vary a great deal over suoh a large extent of country, but generally speaking the crop is a success as oompared to last year's, and especially where manure had been used they oame away well. The earlysown crops appear to have done the best, but all roots are reported as being very small, owing to the want of moisture during the late spring and summer months, though the showers that have fallen during the last few weeks should >elp them materially, and in the end the crops will, I think, be found good ones. The quantity of hay seed this season was very large, and, though the crops were rather light, the quality was very good, and it was saved in first-class condition. There was a large inoreaie in the area of land planted with potatoes, especially, it is said, in North Otago, and, if the season had been an average one as to moisture, the yields would have been remarkable, and it is reasonably expected that the prices will be poor, as the Sydney demand is sure to be a light one. On the whole, it should be a fairly profitable season to the farming community, as the crops up to the present have been got in in good condition. The yield is generally good, and prices, though not high, are fairly remunerative." The estimated returns of cereals for 1887 are as follows:-Canterbury: Wheat 3.343,282 bushels j estimated inorease over laßt year, 46,990 bushels. Barley, 377,400 bushels, a decrease of 91,598 bushels. Oats, 3,441,294 bushels an increase of 196,331 bushels. Otago and Southland : Wheat, 1,074,900 bushels, an inorease of 73,104 bushels. B*rley, 148,980 bushels, a decrease of 5539 bushels. Oats, 4,924,500 bushels, an inorease of 235,548 bushels. The grand total of the estimated yield for 1887 is: Wheat, 4,418,182 bushels, an increase of 97,157 bushels; bats, §,395,194 bushels, an inorease of 431,879 bushels. The potato returnß are not in.