COCKSFOOT CROP ON RANKS PENINSULA FOR 1896.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume XXIV, Issue 2057, 2 June 1896, Page 3

COCKSFOOT CROP ON RANKS PENINSULA FOR 1896.

Messrs Morilzson 'and Hnpk'in report on the cocksfoot crop on Banks Peninsula for 1896 as Allows : --

Number ot sacks harvested — 1885, 60,829" sks j 4886, 57,652 tks 1887, 42,095 sks-; 1-888, 45,708 sks 1889. 49.289 sks ; 1890, 43 337 sits 1891, 35,953 sks ; 18925, "58 542 sks ■1893, 48,765 sks ; 1894, 35,203 sks 1895, 50,336 sks-; 1896. 41.202 sks Values—March-April—lß9o. 3|d to 4£d; 1891, 4|.l to s|d • 1892, to Ud ; 1893, 2i to 4d ; 1894, 4d to 4f 1 ; 1895, 8-fd to 4fd ; 1896, 3£d to 4| I. August September—lß9o, 4d to sd, 1891, 4|d to 6d;1892, 2ld to 4d ;■ 1893, 3id to 5d ; 1894 s£* to fv-H ; 1895, 3|d to'sd." December-January —1890 4|d to s|d ; 1891, 4|d to s±d ; 1892, 2-|d to 4d ; 1893, 4d to 4fi ; 1894, 6d to7d ; 1895, 3£d to 4£d. In England 68s to 72s actual returns for heavy machined. . All quantities given are riddled bags only, and the prices are for riddled up to best machined.

(1896.)

Long Bay Road, 450 ; German 'Bay, 555 ; Robinson's Bay, 770 ; Duvaur -chelle's, 900 ; Barry's Bay, 1145; French Farm, 905 ,; Little River, 9970 ; Pigeon Bay, 5287 ; Holmes' Bay 1050 ; Port Levy, 2250.; Okain's Bay, 5490.; Little Akaloa, 3330; Le Bon's Bay, 4625; Wainui 255.; likao Bay, 15 ; Ay liner's Valley, Onuku and Akaroa, 1120 ; Flea Bay, 75 ; Laverick's Bay, -40 ; Decanter Bay, 150 *, Mackintosh Bay, 50 ; Gough's Bay, 120 ; Paua Bay, 130; Waikerakikari, 600;; Stony Bay West, 60 ; Pnrau, 100 ; Kaituna, 1760, T0ta1—41,202. This gives from 31 to 32 thousand sacks machined seed.

To Our Farmer Friends, —We have much pleasure in handing you full statistics for 1896, and you will see that there are nearly 10,000 sacks short on 1895 crop. We may call it a • short crop ' being the third" shortest over the last years as per statistics herewith. It certainly looked enrly in the season as if the crop would be a total failure, owing to ihe continual dry weather, anr! the grass would hardly grow ; farmers were nbout to turn their cattle into the cocksfoot paddocks, but just in time the -long-wanted rains Appeared and gladdened the hearts of the farmers, but when the cutting time arrived. Banks Peninsula was visited by continual gales of wind, just when the seed began to ripen ; this compelled a number of farmers to -cut on the green side,-to prevent it shaking out, this accounts tor so many parcels with a green tinge.

Weiahtsare lighter than usual, they run from 121bs, 13lbs and 141bs— -lolhs and'lGlbs are considered this year very heavy, natural weights, and we can only account for this in the long spell of dry weather, as after rain did come, the grass shooting up too quickly and ripening, without the kernal being the usual size, as we, however, tested eeveral samples, we find the germinating power to be iully there.

Cleanliness is particularly good owing to the long spell of dry weather, hardly any weeds name up. Little Cape weed, little eoose grasß, few Vetches, York-

shire fog, our old friend, predominaUig, many a time our farmer friends hero wishing it might have stayed at home in good old England.

Colour is particularly good this season, bright samples everywhere.

North Island.—The crop there is not even the usual average, and nearly all the seed grown has passed out of tanners hands. The colour and cleanliness are not particularly good. The machined seed we have seen and handled came up to the usual Btandard with the exception of colour, Beveral parcels dressed up to 181bs and 19Ibs. North Island seed, Tanners' riddled, sold when season opened at from 2|d to 3|d, f o.b. Wellington, and machined seed at from 3£l to 4d, f.o.b. Wellington and New Plymouth.

Akaroa seed sold at from B|-d to 3fd for farmers' riddled, i.o.b. Lyttelton, and machined kept steady up to date at from 4-Jd to 4fd, f.ofe., all sacks extra, These are the values we published early in the season in the Akaroa Mail. The bulk of this crop has also passed out -of the farmers' hands, a great portion of this has already been shipped to London, and considering that there are in all only some 31,000 sack** machined available from Banks Peninsula, we believe values will improve for spring demand. Present London values are from 43s to 47s 6d, c.i.f., but we think 50s will be got ere long for 171b and 181b seed, and should the American crop turn oat short, which is very likely as we hear from New York that the cocksfoot sections are getting less, then you will see a further rise in London, but this will not take place until August or September, when it will be known how the American crop will turn out. Glancing at prices ruling in December-January 1894-1895 in

London for machined 17 and 181bs. viz., *68s to 72s c.i-f., when American cjrop was a failure, we think that with our present small crop, buyers in England can well afford to pay up to 52s c.i.f. for • ourbrst seed. Should again a short crop be to hand in America, our English jriends have made good purchases, even if a good crop be available, as America, J we believe, will not supply for less tkan 52s c.i.f., seed to equal ours. And further, should there be iv short crop in America, cables will be here from New York as soon as in England and our values will riie at once here, and limits raised by Colonial consignors on their stocks in England.—Yours etc , MORITZSON & HOPKIJS.