COCKSFOOT.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXXI, Issue 4273, 24 January 1913, Page 2

COCKSFOOT.

The two dull days on Tuesday and Wednesday were welcomed by ownors who bad seed standing, as tho hpat was ripening tho seed so rapidly that it was impossible to keep up with it, and a great dc-al was shaking; On Wednesday morning in the eastern bays, especially Gough's and Hickory, a considerable amount of rain fell, stopping all grass-seed operations. The shortage of labour is becoming acute, and many owners hare bad to fiil up their paddocks with incompetent hands, while others havo -not. been able to obtain labour of any Rorfc. Tho rapidity with which the seed has ripened on exposed positions is incredible. Some rain, is badly needed to arrest the maturity of the late crops, and also to help the threshing of the early ones. Kound about Akaroa a good deal of threshing is being done, and only a few small lots of seed on the higher levels is still uncut. We have heard of no pales so far, and both buyers and growers appear to be willing to wait for further developments. "A. large portion of the crop s ! nn the lower levels will be thresh ed by the end of the week ?f the weather holds. Tho season should be favour able to contractors as long as they can obtain sufficient labour, as there has been no pause and tho men have not

become-disgusted with the deley of wet days and gone off as has been the case in previous years. The absence of weeds in this year's seed will make tbe cleaning of the seed a ruuoh simpler matter, as fcbe only Gxtraneoui seed which will be present to any extent is fog grass, and that will be thrown out easily when tho cleaning operations begin, Our Okain's Bay correspondent telephoned us yesterday fchafc thegrass seeding was proceeding very satisfactorily, except that several growers could do with more men.. The nor'-wester on Sunday and Mooday shook the crops somewhat, bat not any great damage wae done. Only a few bags had been threshed ao .far. , ■ Our Lo Bon's Bay correspondent telephoned us yesterday that there was a heavy shortage of labour in Let Bon's, and some growers were ing very anxious. On Wednesday, there was a slight mist on the hills, but cutting was carried on all day on the lower levels. Only a little thresh-y ing had been done, and the eeed was!' found to be exceedingly bright and most of it very clean, though there wero several very dirty crops about* h. heavy shower of rah was looked lot anxiously. ',