THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11151, 18 December 1901, Page 8

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

The clouds have dropped their fatness (writes ma North' Canterbury correspondent), and there is no need to follow the pessimistic., strain of my last three or four weekly letters. The crops which have had the stock turned into them, and those fields of ■ grain which have already prematurely .ripened, the welcome and copious rain can produce no tangible effect, but on the bulk of the crop; of which, although the straw is short, tae ears will have on opportunity of maturing with a fair* yield of corn. Many crops of early oats have been cut before being quite ripe, and .to save them if possible from the ravages of the small birds. It is evident now that some crops of hay may be obtained; and. that' tha clover should be coming out! well about February, when the humble bees are about. Bean crops, .potatoes, and rape are seen, to haye benefited by the weather, the ground being now soaked. Pasturage ■is luxuriant,, and the sheep and lamb trade will.receive an impetus which was a week ago scarcely .expected, the majority of the graziers \ hating written the season down as f one of the lean kind. 'Dot this .respect it is impossible iQ gauge the monetary value i in our exports caused by the change. Plantations and hedges which were dying, and' Country, roods that were being cut up have all improved. Orchard prospects are cheering, the rain coming in the nick of time for the large 'fruit and some -of the smaller kinds. A poultry raiser informs mc the change will be worth pounds to him. - The hailstorm at Leesbon on iMonday did much damage io some parts of the country, writes .our correspondent. From Leeston to Dunsaridel, particularly at Kallinehy, serious damage wae caused to the crops. Root crops, rape, ijotatoeg, mangolds, and peas were completely cut ' up, wlrile the, grain crops were much damaged —-heads were cut off the wheat and oats, ; and in a number of instance* a quantity of the grain was cut out of the ears. At Southbridge ami Lakeside practically no hail fell. J -i