THE WEATHER AND CROPS.

Press, Volume LXII, Issue 12602, 19 September 1906, Page 9

THE WEATHER AND CROPS.

Grain crops in tbe North Canterbury district look pmmbing. and the growth ol' root crops has been reinaikab'.e. At _\[r S. Gibbs's form. "Woodend, for example, nn area of elephant Swede turnips is yielding 80 tons per aero. One was taken up on .Monday growing 10 inches above ground with a ciicumh:once ft 'I inches and weighing a. littl > ov<-r b'lb. The ground had ln-on constantly cropped with roots and recently cani'.d nearly 12(1 tons of mangolds to tho acre. The productiveness of tlie M>ii na.-. agisted by a Belfast f> rtilisor. Limbs are looking healthy, nnd good iv-ro.-ntap-s havo l>eoii recorded. In the orclin :ds ii-iit tn.c» have begun to put forth blossoms. _ The |,i<•.-I;ef1;ef ts of tho Peninsula farni-,-.ft';it ih:.> < iirly Ktu_.D oi the m-umhi ;i'.-pt;ir to b'« vciy promising. _ Tin* jiliiblir:' t-.'iison is n ov about coinpl Tel jinJ on'all there are favourable rf'pfirts mid peroo!ifaj;< -«s, tbe wi ather having b'lii ail that cmld _be desired. Owing fo the high prices rulim: mr clioosu it is probable that the. area shut up lor cocksfoot v ill be le-ti than bust hcHNiin, many formers piet'crriug to turn their attention to trailing, a* the price lor cocksfoot ih at i>r**-*"»!i-t low, with no pros;* ot of an advance. -Most of the laeiorics havo c.>nini"iic<<l operations, ami suppliers have in most cases incre.i;«-.1 their horde*. Feed during tho past iortnislit has. not advanced at the same rate as previously, but warm rain wit.n tunny days will toon rectify matters. Our Rangiora correspondent writes: — Tho sprint; weather, after starting with warm days ;it tho beginning of themonth, to rain at tho end of List wei'k with ii cold south wind, which ivith the succeeding .sharp frosts and : -old eastoiiy winds, has retarded the .irowth of vegetation. Fruit trees aro •oinewhat kite in blossoming and grass is growing only slowly. Tho rain was li'vd'd fur the croj* and has done pood ; a fair quantity fell on .Saturday, which was especially beneficial to the light lands about Fernsido and Swannanoa, and did no harm to tho heavier Mills. Farmers aro busy getting in their late crops, ami although they suffered a grout setback in this district last harvest by hailstorms, they aro looking forward hopefully to the future, as storms of this description seldom occur two rears in succession. The lambing in most rases is quite up to tho avotatre. and cows are a source of considerable profit throughout the Rangiora, Softon and Cust districts. Tho splendid weather this spring (our Coalgate correspondent writes) has enabled fanners to got their work well in hand. Spring ploughing and sowing aro going rapidly forward, and in most raws aro practically finished. Autumn sowings aro well forward, a good growth now showing, and feed is plenti'lul for this time of tho yoar, the grass showing a decided growth. Lanibin.e is now general throughout tho district, and with a continuanco of tho present fine weather, a vfjry good percentage should result all round. Prospects for tho coming season are excellent—better, in fact, than for the last few years, which hivo been very good. Never in tho history of tho colony have farming prospects in tho Ashburton district looked brighter than they do just now, and certainly such an ideal winter has never previously been experienced as the ono just part. Tho pastures held out remarkably well, many farmers wero in tho lucky position" of having moro turnips than they knrir wliat to do with, and tha result is that wherever ono goes tho stock are to lie* seen looking in tho very host of condition. So far tlie weather has been simply perfect for lambing, and the percentage promises to bo unusually high. In many parts of tho district lambing is now pretty general, but away towards tho hills it will not commence till Octolier. Tlie cereal crops arc coming tlrrough evenly and well, and thero is a nice spring in tho grass. It is anticipated that a greatly increased area will be sown in potatoes next year, and a very largo breadth of country is ogam being prepared for turnips. Mr .7. "VVitholl, of Ealing, haa been doing a. lot of very successful ploughing with a traction cngino and lour three-furrow ploughs, so coupled together aa to mnko n twelve furrow implement; lio has. been turning over* from sixteen to eighteen acres a day. Some littlo timo ago a contractor In an adjacent locality put up jv record, and by making a long day ploughed up twenty-four acres. Several contractors aro busy with,traction engfno ploughing, breaking up virgin ' tiifwocK laud in the vicinity of Hinds, Ealing, and higher up towards tho hills. In the Terauka district farmers have been actively engaged for tho past two or three months in sowing spring crops. Wheat, for this time of tho year, is in excellent condition, and gives every indication of a bountiful harvest. The area under cultivation will bo considerably larger, both for winter and spring .kinds, than has been tho case for many veers, and fanners are well pleased with present prospects. Given a continuation of fine weather, thero should bo a full average yield. Tho spring crops I have been sown under most favourable conditions; but only in rare cases are yet visible-. With regard to oats, the outlook is fairly good. Barley ib being sown, and new kinds are being experimented with, among others a wind resisting cereal understood to bo specially suitable for milting purposes. The area sown will not exceed that of last year. Potato planting operations are very extensive in the caso of big growers, but the small man who usually supplies tho market is restricted by tho high prices ruling for seed, which can only be obtained loo_tly with much difficu'ltv. Lambing is progressing satisfactorily, the mortality being small.