ME. J. C. FIRTH ON THE CANTERBURY HARVEST.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1325, 12 March 1883, Page 2

ME. J. C. FIRTH ON THE CANTERBURY HARVEST.

Mr. J. C;': Firth,- of ; ! Auckland, at present on a visit to.Oanterbiiry , .to the Christchurch Press.as; follows: —Having recently, had the opportunity of visiting the Oamaru, Timaru, and A shburton districts, I have taken a few harvest notes, which are:, at 1 your disposal. 1. The inhabitants of these fertile districts may well be" of them, It would, I think," be difficult surpass them in any: part of the world for their gi'ain growing;capacities, 2. Everywhere, under the influence of a fine season, the golden harvest were the ground in the richest abuiraance, the yields of wheat being estimated to run from 30 to 50 bushels, and of oats , from 40 to 70 bushels per acre. 3, all the districts cutting isaboutfinished: \ In the Asliburton district about half the crops;are.still jtbroad;'at Timarii; perhaps two-thirds; • and. at Omaru nearly the whole of the crop is still ' in stooks, some of it looking a . good deal withered, though I could not find a sprouted grain/anywhere. 4. This system of leaving the bulk of the j harvest in stook to avoid the .small * expense of stacking is' a ; . very bad one f:r both quality and colour of the grain, and may one of these days, perhaps this very season, v ' • turn. dangerous one, 5. rain catch the it now is, thegr|i|k . will sprouted, be unfit lor the English or any market, will not fetch more than half and two-thirds its present value,, and. will entail a ruinous loss upon the farmers and the Colony The wonder to me is that, in view of . such contingencies, any farmer can ' sleep in his bed. Probably the fear of V nor'-westers has had something io do with the mad rush to cut" everything . ;; down, leaving, the ingathering to- take its chance. Would it not have ken wiser .to have cut down less and secured more ? to have run the risk of losing a small per centage of the crop by shaking, rather than to run the" risk of damaging the whole by heavy rain? 6. This season, even yet,- may teach farmers in this part of the colony that "stacking"'ought' to follow "cutting" as closely : as possible. <