SOUTH CANTERBURY.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14599, 25 February 1913, Page 5

SOUTH CANTERBURY.

— — ~___ —.... _—#xv_l — XV J. . A South Canterbury correspondent writes:—Apparently, our South Canterbury summer departed at some timo during the past week, when a long period of dry weather was ended by the first of tho autumn rain_. North-westers and frosts had given warning of a division between the, seasons, and then all over the country, almost everywhere, from Ashburton to Timaru, rain fell heavily from Thursday atternoon until Saturday morning. One cloudy day, and now another deluge of rain, which at the moment of writing (on Sund_3' night) is pouring down over the hill districts as though it would never stop. As usual, some people aro satisfied, and others are very much the reverse; but if a limit could be set to its duration tho wet weather would have done a great amount of good. All the light lands along the Rangitata, and still further north, were parched and burnt until there was very littlo sign of anyfeed for stock, and in many places the root crops wero becoming shrivelled or stunted; but now, presumably, there will be a rapid growth of all vegetation, and consequently a fair supply of winter feed. For weeks there has been more and more difficulty in watering the stock, and su keeping the water-races even at half j their ordinary flow, and tbe courses j of the creeks and smaller rivers, like j tho Hae Te Moana and Waihi, were i marked only by a strip of shingle and j

an occasional i>ool. At least this ; difficulty is at an end, for every creek j lin the country is in fresh or fail; and. I by tho way," tho surviving stock of trout has been saved. So far, so j good. Aud tho man whoso corn is m stack is not ill-pleased with the general -prospect. However, tliere aro those others, and thero is tho wheat —or a l_rge portion of it—that yet stands out in the weather. Taking tho districts near Orari, Raiigitata bridge, Pool Forest, Woodbury, and Kakahu into a wholo, it may bo said that "a big half" of tho . harvest has been gathered. But there j are very many late crops, which are still uncut or standing in stook, and 1 unless bright weather follows quickly | after the rain, great injury and loss must occur. An inclement spring and a short supply oi hands, led to lon<i delays in sowing operations—near Kakahu 1 saw oats being put in during the first week of November —aud given the best conditions that wo may expect, in the districts near the hills, the work of harvesting must contiuuo •for several weeks. If it is finished beforo April, we shall consider ourselves unusually lucky. At any rate, tho yield of wheat in South Canterbury is likely to bo a bad deal below the average; and already 1 have reports of grain sprouting in tho stooks. It is said that near ''Four Peaks" and at "Woodbury, some of tho wheat crops aro affected by a blight which has blackened the heads; elsewhere the farmers talk of "frosted wheat." Contrary to the usual custom, a quantity of wheat remains unthreshed from last harvest, its owners having "held on in hope of a higher price. A chief portion of the oats has Deen stacked iv good condition, but hero again nro many late crops which want some sunshine like the rest. A fair amount of stook threshing was accomplished, and I somo heavy yields wero put out ot harm's way, but for the present all such work is out of the question. This year we have heard littlo of the potato blight or the diamond-backed moth, and though a large number of' the potato fields wero more or less blackened by the frost of last week, it i. quite possible that they, havo escaped serious injury. After the rain "second growth" may damage somo of tho early kinds —in this autumn of our discontent we fear all things —but only where the stalks were withered completely in tho dry weather is this piobable. Orchards and gardens havo suffered from the gale and frost, and in exposed localities tho trees wero stripped of their crops. Tons of apples wero lying on the ground, and everywhere tho loss , was very great. In the gardens much of the produce was damaged in the cold night which came after that north-wester of evil memory; and all things considered tho outlook in the country is tbo reverse of bright. In the meantime -ye requiro most urgently somo sunny weather. A Press Association telegram from Timaru, reco'ved last night, stated that since Friday night 3J inches of rain had fallen. Tho weather was sail showery and cold, and detrimental to I the lato harvest.