Untitled

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1613, 19 February 1884, Page 2

A continuation of fine weathov for tho past week has been taken every advantage of by tho farmers in this district, most of the crop 3 being now in and snugly stacked. Taken in comparison with last year, although the area under crop within a radius of about three miles of Masterton is about the same, (3500 acres) the average returns will be about five bushels per acre more. This is a matter of con-~ gratulation to the district generally, the farmers in particular. The absence of rust or blight is another thing We havo to congratulate ourselves upon, for in some parts of tho colony this has caused a great falling off in the annual returns, and also serious losses to the farmers, Thero is one evil that our farmers are beginning to feel, is tho "small bird nuisance;" these little pests have, in several cases, reduced the returns by at least 10 bushels to the acre. This can," in a great measure, be averted by drilling the seed in, as then there is less likelihood of the birds being able to pull it up (as in tho open sowing) just after it has come through the ground, the time when the mischief is principally done. Where drilling has been resorted to tho losses by this cause have been trivial. Straw, which for the past few. years : has been so much waste to the farmers, is again becoming a source of revenue, This will, no doubt, sound the death knell of the wire binders, and cause a little extra expense in harvesting, but the farmers will be more than recouped by the amount obtained for the straw. Among the many machines at work among the crops Hornsby's appear to take the lead both in numbers and general excellence of work; there were only two wire-binders at work this season, and in ono case the straw was not of sufficient length to pay for stacking, hence the use of this machine at the crop. While on the subject of machines, an apology is necessary to Mr E. Campbell for reporting that his Wood's machine was " hung up" as useless. What was meant was that it was useless for his crop of wheat, which was rather heavy and beaten down, and the Tilter was more suitable under the circumstances. Where circumstances have permitted, threshing from the stook has been resorted to, with most favorable results, and as our farmers are always to the fore in introducing machinery on the latest improved principle, we may expect to seo tho Hanser'patentcombined reaper, winnower and bagger at work among the crops of next season '