OPINIONS OF FARMERS.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 10023, 29 April 1898, Page 3

OPINIONS OF FARMERS.

To get a comparison of the present drought with any previous dry season, I have interviewed, adds our correspondent, several Ellesmere farmers, and as their information contains several items of interest, I have mentioned them at some length : —

Mr William Bishop has been thirty.five years farming in Canterhury, and has never experienced so dry a time as the present season. He had never seen crops so poor, or feed of every kind so scarce. Ho looked on the coming winter as a very serious time indeed, and was certain that a large number of farmers would not be able to carry their stock through without starving some of them. Root crops, turnips and rape were an utter failure, while he was afraid a very large acreage of the grass lands were worthless. Stock especially sheep, had eaten the heart out of the ryegrass and cocksfoot plants, so tbat they had died off. He was pleased to notice farmers had carefully stacked their straw, but there was nothing like enough straw in the country to winter their stock. The present drought would have a serious effect on next years fat lamb and sheep trade. He doubted very much whether there was feed enough to keep the ewe 3 alive, without any lambs. In answer to my inquiry whether Mr Bishop had ever known as dry a time as the present, he replied in the negative. In 1862-63 for some eighteen months the seasons were very dry, s» that water even for drinking purposes was scarce, but the country was not affected as it was at the present time. Rain came in August, 1864, and a grand season followed. At this time the rain came very heavy and flooded all the river-3. The following spring was not at all a wet one, but there was not much croppin. in those airly days. Mr R. Lockhead stated ha had be*n in the country some thirty-five years, and had never known a season as dry as the present one. The condition of ihe country was a very serious one, indeed. Unless rain s-jou

came it would be hopelessly bad, and it would be useless carrying on any farming operation-*. The driest, season experienced previously was in 1863, but, it was nothing like as bad as the present drought. This season, his crops bad yielded from 3 to 27 bushels per acre, several paddocks goini*.lo, 17 and 3 bushels. His land was good aud heavy and well cultivated, and in other seasons yielded heavy returns. Mr Job Osborne, although better off for feed than a lot of farmers, viewed the prospects for tbe coming winter from a very serious standpoint. He was certain there was not feed enough in the country to carry all the stock through the winter and spring. The drought had affected him ; he had only an average yield of eighteen bushels per acre, whereas he should have had thirty-five bushels. He did not think the lamb trade would suffer so much as other things. Ewes after the tupping required very little feed, and by the time the lambs arrived he hopsd rain would come and grow plenty of green feed. Cattle would suffer tiie most. They would be starved, and get; in.; very weak would succumb when the early --pring g'-uss came. Mr Osborne was sure a very large acreage of winter wheat would be sown in May and June. He would risk tin* germination of the seed and sow it. \Vhe-it- was a good price and as a lot of pasture ground was dead and must be broken up wh-at would be sawn. Mr Osborne laid great stress ou the careful cultivation of the kind. No matter at what cost or labour the soil rausi- be broken up and a tine seed bed made reach- for the seed.

Mi* Alex. McLachlnu had been through several districts since harvest, and he considered the Ellesmere district was much le-s affected than other places. The drought, however, was a very serious matter. Except on one paddock his crops did not come up to half his ordinary yields. There was no feed, and he did not know how farmers were going to winter their stock. A large acreage of winter wheat would be sown, and whether rain came or not the wheat must be put in before the end of May. He strongly advocated working and cultivating the land well. He had recently come to the conclusion that they were ploughing tbe inlands tou deep. In place of deep ploughing, which brought up the cold clay subsoil to the surface, he had proved that working the rich soil on the surface was more beneficial to the seed. In dry seasons, particularly, the soil must be worked down fine, and it would then retain the moisture. He was of the opinion that the drought would seriously affect next season's fat lamb trade. Farmers would not be able to winter their their ewes, while a large number had sold off their sheep altogether.