COUNTRY NEWS AND NOTES.

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14600, 26 February 1913, Page 6

COUNTRY NEWS AND NOTES.

•»- I JOTTINGS FOR FARMERS. Farmers (says our Temuka correspondent) differ considerably in their opinion us to the effect of the weather. A well-informed farmer said that the damage and delay resulting from tho recent heavy downfall would be insignificant in comparison with the benefits derived therefrom. The land bad absorbed the much-needed moisture, and the root crops would be greatly benefited. News from the Wairarapa states that a welcome rain has fallen there. Farmers complain of the ravages ol the caterpillar this season. Inrge quantities ol oats having lie.n destroyed by the pest. Many 1 aimers who took the precaution to make trenches round their crops ami to sprinkle lime and salt therein, were success!ul in protecting the gram. Complaints have also been made that the grass grub j has done damage to the crops, and the tly has uttacked some turnips severely. Our North Auckland correspondent j says that ho had a conversation with ! !an immigrant recently, and was told i I the story ot his tirst week's cxperi-! : enees on the gum-iiekls. .Six days' ; 1 toil averaged a return of '2s 9d per . jday. he had four tierce tights with | ! Maoris, lost his gum-spear and spade i !in a gum hole, learned to say "Kia 1 Ora"' and " Dobra dan," the Austrian ' equivalent for "good day." ami ran up a bill with the local storekeeper for £'3 16*;. He said ii" thought he would try a fireman's job or bnsli work in . the King Countiy! j Heavy .soaking rain fell throughout- ! •Saturday. Sunday, and _.>art of Monday, all over the Peninsula, and did an immense amount of good to pastures, which were fooling the effects of the recent long snell in! dry and hot weather. Some portions were very dry and bare of feed. This will do much towards ensuring winter pastures. Late crops of cocksfoot will be further delayed for some days on account of the damp undergrowth, but a few sunny days will finish all riddling and close the j i harvest. i There was only a temporary lull in j j the rainfall on Monday (says our Mai- ' j vern correspondent). The greater part . I of the day remained fine, and the keen- ' I ness of the air suggested a frost. To- '. ! wards night rain clouds wore blown tip from the oast, and moderate showers fell throughout the night, a further .38 inch of rain being registered at Darfield. The total rainfall for the month now reaches 2.72 inches, and if only frost keeps away for a few weeks longer the autumn growths should almost equal that of the spring. The dry spell in the Poverty Ray ' district and in other portions of tho North Island is quite unusual, and our correspondent states that, hardly ever before hits the dairying industry round Poverty Bay Jjeen in su'eh a precarious . condition as at present. The local fnc- ! Tory manager states that his comI pany's output of butter-fat for Janui iiry' was 60001b short of the previous j January's supply. This month proI iriises even worse, returns, and unless j tho pastures are freshened up within ! the next few weeks, several receiving j depots will havo to close. j All harvest work has been at a I standstill in the Greendalo district i .since Thursday evening last, when rain j set in ' and .continued until early on j Saturday., morning- Saturday proved j tine, but on Sunday rain again set in, I and continned throughout the day, being particularly heavy during tho afternoon. -The "rain, will prove beneficial in promoting the growth of grass and other feed crops, as the ground has roceived a thorough soaking to a depth of aliioiit fiv? inches in old pasture. Fortunately, the harvest is nearly completed, most of the grain lieiug either threshed or stacked, and comparatively few stooks are How to bo seen in tho district. Tlio yields aro ,- not up to the farmers* expectations, as the hot. dry winds and strong sunshin© 'ripened the grain too suddenly. Mr C. Rndd had an averago yield oh , Mills's farm of a fraction under 35 _ bushels per acre of wheat, with a ' highest yield of'4s bushels m one paddock of Pearl. Mr J." Adams got a yield of 59 bushels of oats on ono paddock, but the average would be from 5 to 10 bushels under the prospects of tho earlier part of "tho season.