HARVESTING NOTES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4316, 11 January 1893, Page 2

HARVESTING NOTES.

A Visit to the Upper Plain.

Harvesting operations are now in full swing all around Masterton, and although some of our farmers are not satisfied, others have no cause to oomplain, as their oropa are very much bfltter than for many years past. This should be good newß to our readers as a good harvest means increased prosperity all round. The town oannot thrive if the country settlements are not prosperous, but this year at any rate-unless' we are unfortunate enough to be visited by unusually bad weather—there is every promise of a thoroughly successful harvest,

MrT, E. Chamberlain very kindly drove a representative of the Waiius kapa Daily Times round the Upper Plain yesterday afternoon, eo that some idea might be gathered of the state of the orops and how harvesting I operations are progressing in that really fertile suburb of Masterton, being one of the older settlements, it has more the aspect of an English landscape than many other settlements in this district, Pretty ■homesteads are dotted about within easy distance of each oilier, and long level paddocks in whioh the standing crops are nodding over the fences, meet the eye on every Bide. The first farm to attract attention is that of Mrs A. B, Yates, where there are three large paddocks of wheat, most of whioh is now in the atook. The yield will probably be quite thirty-five bushels to the acre, | although the sparrows have been at work. A five acre paddock of oats, also belonging to Mrs Yates, is expected to give 200 bushelß, On the opposite side of the road a small paddock of oats, belonging to Mr John Catt, is standing, but they will not be ready for the reaper for some three or four weeks. A little distance further on is the property of Mr Giles flhamberlain, where twenty aoros are laid dowu in oats, ten in wheat and three in barley, Only the barley has at present been out. The remaining crops look well and should yield a satisfactory return.

Reaching "The Oaks," tha-resi-dence of Mr T. E. Chamberlain, our representative is invited to accept a farmer's hospitality and take a closer view of agricultural matters by a walk round the farm. On complying, attention is at once attracted to a I splendid looking field of wheat standing 'five feet high, and just ready for the machine. The particular paddock under notioe is fourteen aores in extent, and, judging by appearaucee, should yield fifty busbela to the acre. Last year this samo piece only gave ten bushels to the acre, owing to the ravages of the Hessian fly, Mr Chamberlain was not, however, discouraged, but immediately set to work and burnt the straw and stubble, carting other straw in to make a thorough burn, Ho then ploughed the land twice and has been well rewarded for his labors. This should be a lesson to others of our farmers who are afflicted with this pest. Mr T, Chamberlain has altogether thirty-five acres in wheat, twenty-five in oats and twenty in peas and turnips. A twelve-acre paddock of peas has just been cut and the returns are about thirty bushels to the aore, This is not the best the same land haa done though, for, three years ago, fifty-two bushels was obtained, The oats, which are not quite ready for cutting, should give fully sixty bushels to tho aoro. Mr T, Chamberlain attributes his succes in raising crops this year to the fact that he ploughs all bis land twice, and believes in the judicious use of good manure, Experience has also taught him that peas are a good fertilizer, and wheat sown after peas always thrives much better. The land under notice has now been cropped almost continuously for the last twenty years.

On a property adjoining, Mr E, Chamberlain has about thirty-five acres of whoat and fifty of oats. The best looking is a nice paddock of twelve acres which should yield about thirty-five or forty bushels to the acre of white Tuscan wheat,- The wheat is not yot quite ready for cutting, but an immediate start is to be made with the oats, Ono rutber singular thing is the fact that one ot Mr E. Chamberlain's paddocks, which as recoivod quite the ordinary amount f attention and has been well manured, has grown a most prolific crop of docks. Last year it was sown down in turnips,

Eeturning to the main road Mr John ilessey's farm is soon reached, where may be seen ueventyfive acres of wheat, which Mr Hessey considers is the best headed he has over grown on the land, It is fine and level, and but for the damage done by the sparrows and a small portion appropriated by tho Hessian fly, the yiold would be a big ono, As it is, he expects to get thirty-five bushels to the aore all round from his wheat, and from about thirty acres of oats, estimates to obtain nearly the same average, The oats are muoh later than some of the crops round about, and will not bo ready to out for nearly another month. Mr Hessey has a considerable quantity of cocksfoot, and ryegrass which he is now engaged in harvesting, and also about forty acres in turnips.

Further up the plain the crops of Messrs Dagg, Stempa, Anketell, Evans and others are reported to bo well advaooed and to give promise of satisfactory returns, At the Akura Messrs Bannister Bros bays a remarkably fine paddook of oats, which will probably yield as largely as anything round about, Mr Holens and Mr Kerrins Bhould also do well with their orops, although one paddock of oats and wheat mixed, belonging to lb latter does not seem to thrive so well as tbe rest, Mr Kerrins has commenced cutting his oats, Taken all round the orops on the Upper Plain and Akura are very satisfactory and may bo taken as a (air indication of the harvest all over the district, The Hessian fly has of course done more or less damage to most of the wheat fields, but there is no reason to believe that its ravages are greater than last year, and where tho fullest precautions haye been taken the harm dono has been reduced to a minimum. Sparrows tin's year appear to be the worst nuisance on tbe Upper Wain, and some of the early crops have suffered a good deal. Smut—but not to any appreoiabje extent—has made its appearance in a number of fields,