MEMORANDA OF THE CROPS.

Ashburton Herald, Volume I, Issue 213, 2 December 1878, Page 2

MEMORANDA OF THE CROPS.

BY OUR COUNTY CORRESPONDENT. Saturday. To cover Ashburton County in clry weather, with nor’-westers “ in good condition,” is not a task of pleasure, and when what one sees around in the state of* the crops is added to the influence on the spirits exercised by those nor’ westers, the effect is not exhilarating. Looking over my pocket-book, I extract the loilowing items regarding the different districts : RANGITATA. The crops here are not so far advanced as in other parts of the county, and in their present condition it is on the cards for them to yield, with a fair modicum, 0 rain in a day or two, 25 to 28 bushels per acre. The whole district is rather late, and this, of course, will be in its favor. Oats, however, are too far advanced to do any good, I am much afraid, even if rain did come. The average per acre I give above of course applies to wheat; oats are so poor that I would not like to risk an estimate. Itangitata Island looks better, but the average of former years will not be anything like sustained.

j HINDS. In this district, the light land crops look better than the heavy towards the hills’ foot, but the great want of rain is, of course, solely felt ; indeed'“rain” is the word forming the refrain of every man’s conversation here and elsewhere. On the heavy land the ground is all cracked open with the drought, which has pierced to a great depth. If rain does not come speedily the crops will be poor indeed, but with a fair amount of moisture I should say 20 bushels per acre of wheat may be obtained. At LONGBEACH late, crops look best, and have a darker green. The early are all withering in the short blade. Here, too, the heavy land has cracked as at the Hinds. The wheat average I should approximate at 22 bushels. Early oats are simply worth nothing, but the later show a more hopeful color, and with rain might yield about 33 bushels to the acre. Mr. A. Dawson has a field of barley well forward, which will yield about 23 bushels to the acre, and ought to be in the market in about six weeks. Taking the district all round wheat will not rise above a 20 bushel yield, and early oats, will do] very well, perhaps, for sheep feed. Late oats are looking a little better, but are not far enough advanced for a keener eye than mine to give an estimate of harvest result. Barley generally looks weakly, and if 16 or 18 bushels an acre is reaped I shall say my estimate has been reached. graeme’s road is looking very fair, and should yield 25 bushels for wheat and 33 oats, and where barley is not too far advanced 27 bushels per acre. BEACH ROAD. Very fair until you come towards the sea, within three miles of which things alter greatly, and crops show a sorry condition. If no rain falls soon things won’t be worth harvesting on the land near the beach. As you come near ASHBURTON you find wheat pointing towards a 20 bushel average. 1 saw some early oats in ear, but the heads were very small, and will be just about half the bulk of grain they ought to be. Barley is a bad lot generally speaking. Grass is ready for cutting; it is 10 inches long, but on minute examination the half of the head head only husk, so that the yield of grass seed will be below farmers’ estimate. WAKANUI ROAD is in about the same state, the crops in poor condition. Grass withered and thin, and in poor condition. Average per acre something like 20 bushels wheat, 25 oats, and 18 barley. Of SEAFIELD the less said the better. The wind appears to ha . e taken the soil away from the grain roots.’ With few exceptions the country looks jjoor—one of the poorest districts I have yet been in. So like a failure does the growth seem to me to be. that I do not think there is even feed for sheep left in the stunted dried up crop. In some places there are very large fields which present a sorry sight, and it is saddening to witness men toiling for a whole year only to see their labor blasted by the pitiless wind. CHERTSEY is the most hopeful district I have perambulated. The land is nearly all in wheat, the soil is of a very much, better quality, and naturally enough the crops show it. Mr. F. B. Passmore has a great acreage under crop—an amount scarcely credible, and it looks very fair besides. I should think at the lowest 32 bushels per acre wheat should he taken from the Chertsey land, but of course some fields look better than others, and as a rule they have all that dark green hue so much admired by farmers., RAKAIA BELOW THE LINE. As you go towards Fidler’s Green you find that the wind coming through the Gorge has been at work on the light soil and doing its very best to let us know who is master, and Ventosus’ bellows has worked so well that I quail before the task of attempting an estimate of the yield—certainly it will not be heavy. RAKAIA ABOVE THE LINE. What crops are in this district will probably be like this in the yield—wheat, 20 bushels ; oats, 25 ; barley, 18, ASHBURTON NORTH BRANCH. Things are backward a little, but if the preat want is supplied a fair crop might. got, There is a large area of ground

under cereals, and if the needful comes it will tell favorably. In the

FORKS there is a great amount of land in grass, but the same half-empty husks appear, and grass seed samples from this locality will be poor.

ASHBURTON SOUTH AND UP-BIVER crops are looking fair. The water is near the ground surface, and the drought has not been so severely felt, still the want of rain has had its effect. Wheat ri the staple here, and will yield 23 to 30 bushels per acre.