WAIMATE FARM NOTES.

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7880, 3 June 1891, Page 6

WAIMATE FARM NOTES.

Our Waimate correspondent writes:— Little or no rain has fallen during this month (May), and the ground in all parts of this district is fearfully dry. Ploughing is being pushed on wherever it is practicable, but in some lea paddocks the ploughs have had to be taken out again, so hard is the ground.: Turnips are in most places nearly fed off, and as there is no other feed to depend on to keep sheep fat until the spring 'who will be able to hold their sheep ought to get a splendid price for them at that season of tho year. Store cattle are both low in'condition and low in price, and those who have them will be glad to get quit of them at almost any price. The only cattle that are fetching good values are springers, and there seems to be a good demand for them. A large area of crop ia being put in this season and whiter wheat is now nearly all sown, and in many places the land is being fallowed for oats and barley. Grass has been completely nipped off by the sharp frosts, which are now a nightly occurrence, and spring feed, such as rye, Cape.barley, and oats, is making slow progress—barely discernahle above ground. Some Cape barley sown at the end of January for winter feeding owing to the dry weather shot up with such rapidity that it was in full ear within nine Weeks from the time it was sown, and after being eaten down has not yet started to spring again. Some of the small grazing run settlers have erected houses on their holdings, and have Boon stocked them, in most cases, with merino sheep, and as the range at the back of Bluecliff has already been white with snow they have had a taste of what they may expect if the winter turns out bad. And when such does happen I venture to predict that it will end disastrously, as there is hot an acre of low or level country to put the sheep on should a severe fall of snow take place.