FARM PROSPECTS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 84, 19 January 1928, Page 5

FARM PROSPECTS

THE METHVEN DISTRICT* WARM WEATHER REQUIRED. A GOOD HARVEST EXPECTED.

With January more than half way through, the farmer is anxiously looking to the crops, which under usual conditions should lie showing signs of ripening. The present season in the Methven district is probably the latest experienced for some years. For several months past scarcely a week lias gone by without rainfall, more or less being experienced on an average of three days out of seven. Following this, the weather has been more or less dull. There have not been the usual

north-west winds which, although often, unpleasant, would at present be of great benefit to the farmer generally. With the moist, humid atmosphere prevailing, there is naturally. a fair amount of smut, rust mildew and other diseases to be found in patches of wheat and oats, but fortunately not to . any serious extent at present. Many good crops of cereals are reported from other districts, apd the Methven district is equally as good as, if not better than, other places. All parts of the district are uniformly good, and on the lighter lands round Lyndhurst and Lauriston the crops promise to he as good as those on the heavier lands. At the time of writing, the weather appears more settled and is much warmer, and with a continuance of these conditions the harvest is assured. So much broken weather has. of course, delayed shearing, and there is still a fair amount to be done. It is possible that harvesting and shearing will be going on together. . In regard to wheat, a fair number of farmers in the district have sold their crops for the coming season at i prices from os Bd. to os 9d on trucks. One firm was operating fairly keenly at the latter end of last week, hut apparently its order irf filled and the demand has weakened. In consequence of the moist conditions, there is considerably more feed this year than usual, and there will' be no shortage this autumn, even if a,dry.spell is experienced from now on. Farmers are naturally under-stocked, • and apparently there is little chance of any turnover in stock owing to the extremely keen dbmand making for prices too high to show any margin of profit. As a result, many large areas of grass have been shut up for seed, while in addition more hay than usual has been saved. Clover has made an abnormal growth, and two paddocks in particular—one at Mr P. W. Ituddenklau’s and another at Mr J. Hyland’s are a 1 sight to see. These are both on the Springfield Estate, but , other parts of the district claim areas as good. Turnip sowing has been a wearisome job this season. In many cases the land has been worked for long enough in an endeavour to clean it from twitch, and the result of good labour has been lost owing to the continued rain. The : rain has also had. its bad effect on* the sowing of turnips, which has been seriously delayed, and many areas have had to be re-sown. Winter feed crops are showing up well, and the only thing now needed is plenty of sunshine to make a bumper season.