WHEAT CROPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 December 1942, Page 4

WHEAT CROPS

PROSPECTS OF BUMPER YIELD UPPER PLAIN-SOLWAY AREATOUR OF INSPECTION. The prospects of a bfimper wheat crop' in the Upper Plain-Solway area are particularly bright. A “Times-Age representative was shown over the area by Mr Henry Evans and his grandson, and was greatly impressed by the splendid crops inspected. Mr Evans said at the outset of the trip that wheat sown at the rate of three bushels to the acre was too thick, and gave a crop which was too short in the head. He held that a rate of two bushels to the acre, provided the ground was well worked, was ample, and gave wonderful returns. Mr Evans’s contentions seemed to be well borne out by the crop examples he was able •to show. Some' 20 acres of Cross 1 wheat was inspected. It had been sown at the rate of three bushels to the acre, and was noticeably short in the head. Further on was another example of threebushel to the acre sowing, which had been sown on a former clover paddock. A splendid crop was seen on Mr Percy Nathan’s property, grown in a stubble naddock. This crop was longer in the head and looked more robust. Another good crop of wheat was seen on Mr G. H. Perry's property. It was Hunter’s (“red”) winter variety, and looked in first-class order.. Mr Evans said that he expected to get a return of up to 70 bushels to the acre from his fine crop of Cross 7 wheat, growing opposite Mr Perry’s boundary. At the back of Mr P. R. Welch’s property was another good crop of Cross 7, which was grown from certified Lincoln College seed, and which was being raised for seed. Near the road there were several fine crops, also of Cross 7, on Mr F. Candy’s land. As in the case of the crops mentioned above, it was sown at the rate of two bushels to the acre, with splendid results. Mr Henry Evans had a further paddock of Hunter’s variety on the right of the road, which looked in great order. More areas of 5 Tuscan variety were to be seen on Mr Candy’s and Mrs Trevor Beetham’s properties. There was also a good ripening crop of black barley on Mr Candy’s property, in addition to a paddock with a splendid lake of rape. QUOTA EXCEEDED. Mr Evans mentioned that the Upper Plain district was the only area to grow over its quota. In this case it had grown 100 acres over the quota. On Mr Evans's property, a splendid drop of Algerian oats from Lincoln College seed, covering 14 acres, took the eye. It is expected to yield the high average of 80 to 90 bushels to the acre. The average is about 60 bushels. There was also a fast-growing crop of Hunter’s wheat which looked in great heart. Where potatoes were grown last year it was already nearly five feet high. This variety is suitable for the district on account of its tall strong straws. Coming on to the Upper Plain road, Messrs Gordon Laing and W. James’s crops were inspected, and on the return trip to Masterton, crops on Messrs P. R. Welch’s and T. Horton’s properties were seen to have good prospects. Mr Evans stressed the of cutting Hunter’s variety slightly on the green side, otherwise there was a chance of losing the grain in the paddocks. RETURN FROM WHEAT. Mr Evans said that wheat was a paying propostion with yields of over 30 bushels to the acre. At 30 bushels to the acre it paid expenses, and anything over that yield was profit. Referring to the price of 6s 9d per bushel which was paid to growers here, Mr Evans said that in the last war growers received 7s per bushel during a time when expenses were fifty per cent lower than they were today. When asked to express his opinion on the increased wheat acreage campaign, Mr Evans said that there was no need for compulsion, but if farmers did not grow wheat when it was so urgently wanted, then it was their own fault if they brought compulsion upon themselves. It was not really a question of the return that some farmers were worrying about; they were just too lazy to grow wheat. It could be said for them, however, that they were worried about labour trouble ,particularly at harvesting time, and about getting the wheat handled. It had to be borne in mind, too, that the Upper Plain area had always been an agricultural district. Other parts of the Wairarapa had been agricultural areas, but they had faded out. In any case, it had been found easier and more profitable to run sheep and raise wool on the bigger holdings than to grow wheat. Today costs were rapidly mounting, and they were becoming so high that one did not know how one stood from day to day.