FARM PROSPECTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 171, 3 May 1930, Page 4

FARM PROSPECTS.

THE ANAMA DISTRICT.

PROVISION OF WINTER FEED

Alills are now busy in the Anainn district, completing threshing. The yields of both wheat and oats are much below the averages of former years, which is attributable to the wet and windy weather during the early growth of the crops.

Turnip crops are in a backward condition and considerably below the average of past years, as with the heavy rains at the beginning of the present year sowings were late and did not allow of sufficient time to bull), while the ground is now too hard to allow much growth. Most of the earlysown crops were spoiled by the floods. The mild autumn so far experienced has been much appreciated, and farmers are still hopeful that a little growth will continue. There has been •a fair amount of hay saved, and this will greatly help out winter feed, besides being especially valuable ii the winter proves very stormy. There was a fair amount of green feed'sown during the autumn. This is showing considerable promise, and provided the weather is not too severe, should considerably supplement the winter feed.

Teams and tractors are again pushing on with the work of preparing the ground in readiness for next season’s crops, and it is anticipated that there will lie an increased acreage sown in wheat during the coming season. There lias been a little top-dressing done during the autumn, and it is probable the spring w-ill see much more clone, although with the low prices ruling for all farm products the purchasing power of the farmers has been considerably curtailed and the purchase of manures and such commodities for improvements will be aflected. The cows are fast drying off and with the diminishing cream supply the cream lorries have curtailed their Irins. The year’s cream supply is said to have been an ml ;c,' v c *>no. All stock is in good condition, mil farmers are hopeful for a lenient ter to balance the shortage of winter feed.