COCKSFOOT AND THE WEATHER.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LIV, Issue 2838, 12 January 1904, Page 2

COCKSFOOT AND THE WEATHER.

The weather for the lis*; few days has been most propitious for the PeninsulaNearly two inches of rain have fallen, and tha effect has been most beneficial on the unmatured crops well above the sea level. The rain this year has been strangely distributed. There has been a good "deal in some of the Kastern Bays In Gough's and Waikerakikeri, for instance—except near the sea level—the feed is luxuriant;, whilst at I the lower part of Pigeon Bay, Little River, Port Levy, and rouud the harbour, the drought has been so severe as to pro duce a great shortage. Two growers in Pigeon Uay declare that they alone will have a shortage of fully 3000 saoks, and putting the most favourable face on the the news, we believe the production in pro portion to acreage will be fully a third less than last year. From Wainui and some other localities we hear of good crops, rot so high up the hills, but wo do not think iv many oases that estimates will ba reached, as the seed doe 3 not droop as if it were heavy. The cutting has been going on merrily on the lower lands all through tho i week, in spite of the showers, but we have reen none threshed. A few samples rubbed ou!) seem bright, small reed, but we have ?eea none weighed. lb U without doubt a truth that the output of the Peninsula will be fully a third leas than last year, owing to the December drought, which has affected •» very large proportion cf the crops. As we are writing, the Agent-General's telegram comes to hand, stating the cocksfoot market has not altered tiuce last week, so that prices seem as if they would be fairly main' tamed. We have heard of several parcels of last year's crop bsing disposed of at good prices, bub we do not think any transactions in new seed have taken place, and, in fact, we do not suppose any has yet been threshed. V? ith the recent rain and hot sua the seed has ripened fast, and cutting will be very _?aneral this week. There "seem to be a god many men on the road, but as far as we can find out they will have employment, but there is no surplus hbour. Last year,' so many came before the seed was ready, that there has not been the same early influx on the ohanco of employmert, but w.i have as yet heard of no outcry abaut seod spoiling for want of hands io cut it. The fact is, that year by year, cocksfoot grower are getting into the habit of emploj ing the same hands, and are not neirly so dependent on casual labour as they were twenty years