HARVEST RESULTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7732, 27 February 1909, Page 2

HARVEST RESULTS.

Stacking operations in Wakanui and sub-districts, Ashton, Tinwald, Waterton, Wheatstone, Hinds and on the Plains districts are practically completed. This work is also well advanced in the districts lying immediately under the hills, where the crops are somewhat later. Reports of exceptionally good yields continue to come to hand. Mr S. Holland, Tinwald, has threshed 54 bushels per acre from a paddock of Tuscan, and as this crop was badly laid, which caused a good deal of waste, the return must be considered highly satisfactory. Mr James McCrenor, Methven, has threshed out a small area of wheat, which yielded 60 bushels per acre, while Mr James McLean, of Cairnbrae,., who has just finished threshing 21,000 bushels of oats (Mr James McCrenor's machine), has had an average yield of over 50 bushels per. acre. Some of the early sown wheat crops that received a check at the latter end of November are not threshing out up to expectations. The heavy undergrowth of clover in the cereal crops this season is causing the farmers a great deal of trouble, and, while stacking has been consider- < ably delayed, it is stated that some of the stacks are beginning to heat, as a result of the clover in the butt-end of the shelves. Large quantities of grain have been purchased by the merchants, and graincarting is now in full swing. Many of the paddocks throughout the county, on the heavy land, have bulked up at the rate of a six yards' stack per 3£ acres. Mr George Wilson, of Sea view-, lias threshed 50 bushels of wheat per acre, but this does not represent an average return all over the district. It is understood that a large number of farmers do not intend threshing their grain for afc least four weeks. This will mean that a number of threshing machines will have to "pull in:) for the time being. An Ashburton gentleman, who has' just returned from a visit to Otago and Southland, states that reaping has only properly commenced in and around Palmereton, while in Southland some of the crops are still in a green stage, and very backward.