HARVEST NOTES.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 10264, 6 February 1899, Page 2

HARVEST NOTES.

Last week's weather was most favourable for the ingathering of the harvest, asad' in the North Canterbury district no time was lost in the work. Not only the stackers but the threshing machines were busily engaged on overtime. Several are threshing out of stook, which it must be admitted is a mistake, not producing the best sample. Although grain will mellow in the sacks after threshing in that manner, the purchaser does not hold it in the same estimation as to value. It is, as a matter of fact, the more natural way to mellow the wheat in the stack, and then thresh it. When all the grain is threshed the next question will be, where is it all to be stored? Already stores axe at a premium, and the shed accommodation at the railway stations is certain to be rushed, but even then much of tie grain will have to be stored under straw or tarpaulins till it can be sent away for shipment. On the question of high yields, we have not noted any higher than those already reported. It may be stated that the top records for oats in past seasons have been at Itangiora, a crop of Mr H. Blackett's, 132 bushels per acre; at Church Bush, Kaiapoi, a crop of Mr Chas. Young's, 130 bushels per acre; and on Mr T. Pashby's farm, Kaiapoi, a crop of wheat 97 bushels per acre. The bean crops are likely to give good returns, and potatoes everywhere are in satisfactory order. There was a heavy downpour of rain at AshburtoD yesterday morning, lasting from half-past four till eight o'clock. The remainder of the day was showery.