SUCCESSFUL CROPPING.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4614, 9 January 1894, Page 2

SUCCESSFUL CROPPING.

The Hessian Flij, Sparrow, and ■ BotFlyPtks. One of the most successful farmers in this district is Mr John Hessey, of the Upper Plain. A visit to Ms fßrro will be sufficient to convince the most sceptical, that to orop.to advantage, systematic cultivation is necessary and this can only be attained, by the careful manipulation of the soil by the plough and barrow. On entering the property from the niain road there is a fine paddock of oats which is being out for sheaf ohaff, .but which if thrashed would probably yield forty bushels to the acre, and this from the sparse seeding of one bushel to the acre sowed only with the grass seed for feeding purpoaes,but as Mr Hessoy meantime sold his sheep, he allowed tli6 crop to mature and will be amply rewarded. It is worthy of note that this paddook bus been cropped for seventeen years in succession and last year was subsoilod to a depth of fifteen inches. There are many paddooks in the district that .show the effects of over cropping, which perhaps the use of the subsoil plough would obviate if the farmers could only be induced to use it, and by an increased yield reap a bountiful harvest instead of a stunted crop and poor yield whioh in the face of low prices causes the farmer to assert that cropping don't pay. Passing on. through. Mr Hessey's properly we find that with the exception of a fow patches (whioh oan easily be accounted for) the wheat and oats, particularly the latter, look exceedingly well, The varieties grown are American Triumph and White Danißh, with abundance ol straw, and The wheat severely with the Hessian fly and sparrows, and will not yield within twenty bushels per acre, of what they would have, had the district been free from these pests. Strange to say, the fly has been most severe in a paddock ..newly broken up, and this'may be said to prove that the insect shelters and lives in the grass during the winter mouths, We congratulate Mr Hessoy, and hope to see others pay the same attention to their crops for the sake of the welfare of the district, for it is clear that the extra oare ,in pre* paring the ground will be amply repaid in the increased yield,

Much has been said and written teBpmting the Hessian fly and how to exterminate the pest, but as in many other things the farmers here do not seem to cake concerted action, and there is no doubt, unless this is done; that there is little hope of this enemy being stamped out. ■ During the present harvest it might be wise to raise the knife of the reaper as high as possible, so leaving a good length of stubble to burn, and continue to work the ground as muoh as possible, and so expose the chrysalis to the frost, which will destroy it. The Government are about to introsome natural enemy, and have had a report on the farms where the fly is prevalent. They have also arranged that smallpatoh.es of wheat are to be left standing on which to acolitnatise the enemy, but so far no one seems to know what this latest importation is like. /The growers will one and all unite in hoping that the Government are not introducing another pest in the guise of a friend. \.

In the Bouth Island where grain growing is being carried on, on a large sole, the farmers tike considerable pains at certain seasons to la; poison for sparrows to an extent that may be compared to the poisoning of rabbits in this district, except that they are compelled to do so by lav. Iu soma cases the local bodies and in the &gricultural and Pastoral Association, collect an acreage rate and. with this money supply poisoned grain to the farmers, and pay for sparrows destroyed and eggs collected, atsomuoh per 100. This system 1 might with advantage he instituted here, and the farmers thus rid of the sparrow pest to a great extent, It would surely be an easy mate for the County Council or tiro too Agricultural and Pastoral Societies to take the matter up, and carry it out with a' very large degree of success, A special time could be set apart when every farmer would lay the poison supplied! to him, and every year-say on Show Daysthe boys coujd display their, collections of sparrow eggs, etc, and receive payment for their work. There may be some objeotion .to this plan, on {he part of larmers and runholders, who go in exclusively for stock, hut if' tfey consider that the sparrow is equally their enemy : in destroying their pasture—especially when sowing fresh seed' (the clover bewga choice morsel for Mr Sparrow). We are inolined to think they would heartily co-operate withgrain growers,

_ The bot fiyliß about at ttie present tittie in large numbers and the farmers complain.of ibeir horses being subject to continued Eyery caro shoij|^^^^n&t aro on onr pst