The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2484, 12 June 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

TUESDAY, JUNE 12, 1888.

Equal and exact justice u> .ill men. Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

The question of winter versus spring wheat, is of too much importance to this district to be summarily dismissed. It is satisfactory to find that our remarks on this subject have drawn forth ti considerable amount of valuable information on the subject, and we trust that the matter will be niorefullyand exhaustively threshed out, by those whose experience entitles their opinion to weight, than has been yet done. There is no doubt that much can bp said on Koth sides rf the question. Putting aside tho statements of Auckland

millers, that they can only use spring Tuscan witli winter wheat, in the proportion of one sixth or eno seventh,?- other .have been adduced in favour ofthe growth of winter wheat. If ifr is a fact, as stated, that "'the reason the Canterbury farmers go in almost .exclusively for growing winter wheat, is because the yield is ho much greater," then we have at once a most weighty argument in its favour, and the price, if anything, is also slightly an inducement. The large yields lately noticed in these columns of winter wheat, as having been grown by Messrs Taylor and 'Rutherford, 55 bushels and 48 bushels, respectively, per acre, would.. seem .to. bear out the above statement and to show also that there-is nothing in the open climate of Waikato to prevent the winter varieties of wheat from being grown successfully. On the other hand the advocates for spring wheat growing_point out, that the larger quantity of land sown to wheat in Waikato is that upon which a turnip crop has been fed oft", and that this, land cannot be ready for winter sowing. They also point out that the comparatively mild climate of Waikato is almost certain to cause the crop to become "winter proud," and that in checking this by eating it down there is' the risk of injuring the aftergrowth; and, again, that on the wetter lands a large proportion of the plants would die out in winter. These are objections all worthy of consideration ; but taking tho evidence, so far as given on either side, it would seem unwise to lay down any hard and fast rule in either direction, and individual farmers will act wisely in studying the capabilities and conditions of their respective lands aa to which kind of wheat they shall grow. One field may present all the requisite conditions for a winter crop, another be suitable only for a spring-sown one. Of one thing we are sure, whatever the reason, that the bulk of the Waikato wheat being spring wheat has this season largely interfered with its sale to the .Auckland millers, though when sold it has realised an equally good price with southern grain. It ia easy to vaguely hint that the records of some big monetary institutions could perhaps throw some light upon the cause why southern wheat is "preferred'to Auckland grown, but, in the want of proof that this is really the reason, is it wise for our farmers, who have the opportunity and the means to grow winter wheat, to brave the possible difficulty of disposing of their spring grown wheat next year, should there be really any truth in the statement of the Auckland millers as to the necessity of a mixture of the two kinds for milling? There is no reason that they should do so, and we are glad to loam that a considerable proportion of the land suitable for winter wheat will be sown with it during the present and next month. It is well not to put all the eggs into one basket, and in the unpreparedncssof much of the Waikato land for a winter crop it is certain that the far larger pro portion of wheat grown this coming season musi be the spring Tuscan. As regards the milling qualifications of either wheat it would no doubt be found, that they depend loss upon whether the grain has been winter or spring-sown, than upon whether it has been carefully harvested, sweated in the stack, and dried again before threshing. The same grown wheat, properly or improperly treated, after reaping, might in the one case be ground alone, in the other require to be mixed with a large proportion of wheat in better condition for the mill, to be n't for use.

If we put aside us a, merely secondary consideration what some of our readers would designate simply as millers "fads," or worse, there is still left the important question to be considered. Which will give the greatest yield winter or springs sown wheat ? and we should be glad if any of our readers could furnish their experiences on this matter, whether obtained here, in the South, or in the Old Country. There is a matter, too, irrespective of winter or spring sowing, that is, which variety of wheat will give the largest yield, and at the same time produce a good milling sample? We gather from the report of the Lincoln School of Agriculture, Canterbury, for 188G, that six varieties of wheat had been grown in seven different paddocks, 120 acres altogether. The average was 30 bushels per acre, but the yields varied very much. Whether each variety had been grown under exactly similar conditions is not shown in the report, though, as the statement is given as showing the comparative yielding qualifications of the kinds tried, it may be presumed that as much as possible this was the caso, The result, which is as follows,- nevertheless is of considerable interest. White tuscan, 2'2 acres, 410 bushels; Nursery, 24| acres, 764 bushels; Champion, 11 acres, 357 bushels; Essex rough chaff, 23$ acres, 963 bushels; Hunter's white, 27 acres 908 bushels; and Browick red, 10 acres, 2C3 bushels. In this it will be seen that Essex chaff produced more than double the crop of white Tuscan, and that Hunter's white gave 33-.V bushels, as against 18-1-. of the Tuscan. Even in the crop of white and red of the same kinds of wheat, there is a difference. The " Miller" of the

sth March last, contains the following :—lt is sometimes stated that white wheats require a larger period of growth than the red varieties, the latter being quicker in maturing and better adapted for higher temperatures and hotter climates than white wheats. Sir J. 15. Lawes for 12 years in succession grew a series of 23 descriptions of wheat, fifteen reds and ten whites side - by side- in the same field and with the same manurial dressing to each. A different field was, however, selected each year. Taking the average of the fifteen rede they gave a yiold of 431

bushels per acre, o£ f>7.2lbs. to the Imshcl. The ten whites gave a yield of 4'Jy- bushels per acre, of Gl.'Mbs per bushel, showing a slight gain in quantity per acre of the whites over the reds.; The weight per bushel, however, is decidedly iu favour of the white varieties by an average of four pounds to the standard bushel." Now, this at the Waikato estimated yield,-21) bushels per acre, would give aii increase of 116lbs, or nearly two bushels per acre. We need not point out, moreover, that the heavier wheat should command •a better price.