RURAL RIDES

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 21034, 9 December 1933, Page 10

RURAL RIDES

SEASONAL CONDITIONS THE WADDINGTON DISTRICT (By H.A.M.) The week has been an unfavourable one for crops. Hot, clry days a;-.d a npr'-wester or two in- most districts have dried up the small reserve of moisture there was in the soil. Localities, as a result, which were looking moderately well 10 days ago are now showing the signs of a decided lack of moisture. In a wide acreage areas that were entirely satisfactory, from a seasonal point of view have become very dry at a period when moisture is all important. Last week's article referred to conditions in the Cheviot district. A visitor to Kaikoura on Wednesday—a week later—mentioned to the writer that the week had dried conditions most markedly. North of the Rakaia, except along the foothills, it is fairly certain that there has been a similar development, even if not to a corresponding extent. Yesterday a run through the districts to Waddington sh<pwed, on the lighter country in the intervening area, conditions much less attractive than a fortnight ago. Wheat crops are looking well, but several fields past Yaldhurst show signs of having been nipped by the frost. Patches in the depressions are browning in a manner that indicates this. Further up, towards the good-medium land, there is no sign of frost effects, and crops generally are looking even and healthy. Average wheat yields should be secured in this area if rain is not unduly delayed. Oats crops vary. Some are looking well, but the birds are paying a good deal of attention to the earlier crops. Others are whitening rather than ripening, and it is to be feared that they will fill badly, and useful only for chaff. In the frostaffected wheat paddocks the patches damaged are irregular, and even if wisdom dictated their cutting for hay purposes, the difficulty would be to get the mower in without knocking the unaffected parts of the crop about. From Courtenay up to Waddington there is a pleasing showing of nice even crops, both wheat and oats, and a good deal of the wheat is well in ear. There appears to be an added area this season in oats, and the later sown crops are looking well. A few more days without rain, however, will affect them, as the lack of moisture in the sub-soil is likely to prevent the grain filling satisfactorily. The Waddington district, though not comprising what might be termed strong land, is of medium to good quality, and for cereal growing is equal to the best in the province. A good rotational system is followed, and what sound cultural practice will do to ensure good yields is attended to in this area. The result is.that many nice fields of wheat are to be seen—somewhat thin in places, but heading up very well. A good £olid rain would ensure returns quite up to the average, and on the other hand another fortnight of the drying weather will bring them down by some bushels to the acre. Further towards the hills there have been more showers. The Pastures. It is the pastures that are showing the worst effects of the dry

• weather. They have had to bear ' fairly heavy grazing, and where ! they have been spelled the ryegrass Jis running to stalk with very little ■ bottom feed. This position obtains over quite an area of the good land. Young grass which came away well is languishing', and some paddocks are showing a good deal of yarrow. Sorrel is another unwelcome visitor, : and an unusual one in a dry "season, particularly in a district where ■ tillage is so completely practised. Very few ryegrass fields are to be seen that will yield a good seed crop, and possibly most of them will be turned into hay if not fed off. Potatoes. The potato crops, of which a fair acreage is grown in the district, are looking well, though the frost of a fortnight ago nipped some of them very badly. Growers who had moulded up before the visitation checkmated the effect to some extent. A Productive Farm, The diversified farming at "Westacre," Waddington, the property of Mr G. H. Judd, provided scope for an instructive few hours. Mr Judd took up "Westacre" very much in the rough 37 years ago, and he has changed it to one of the most productive holdings and comfortable homesteads in the district. The property comprises 900 odd acres, and on it are run 1000 ewes, the average lambing of which ranges about 110 per cent., and practically all of the lambs are sent to the freezing works. In addition, Mr Judd has 176 acres of wheat this season, goodsized fields of oats, rape, young grass, and turnips. The ewes are nearly all halfbreds, with a small proportion of three-quarterbreds. Mr Judd had just concluded his shearing yesterday, and his experience confirmed the general one oa

the plains this season—a lighter clip, ranging up to 15 per cent. Mr Judd's 176 acres of wheat appear at the moment as if they were "set" for good yields, being very even, a good colour, and well headed, and the observer could confidently forecast up to a 50 bushel yield. Mr Judd, however, says he cannot recall a season in his 40 years in the district when there was such a need for rain in midDecember as there is at present. Another week or two without a downfall would affect the yield very considerably. Good tillage has assisted growth so far, but the adamantine condition of the grass paddocks shows how exceptionally dry the season has been. A crop of Jumbuck wheat is now practically fully in ear, and though thin looking the heads are long and the crop should yield well. Two bushels to the acre were sown, and it would seem that this is the minimum seeding with the addition that the variety should be sown early. Mr Judd has imported different varieties of seed at times, but apart, so far, from Jumbuck none has met general requirements so well as the standard varieties in use in the province. A good yielder might possess poor baking qualities, and on the other hand a good-looking 1 quality has generally proved a poor yielder or more liable to "shake." Mr Judd's practice generally when he breaks up out of the lea is to take off a root crop, and then two wheat crops in succession. On anything but good wheat land and good farming this would be a risky practice, but several large fields (one of 60 acres) in wheat twice in succession show no difference in prospects from those in the first crop. The wheat on all occasions has the benefit of an application of lewt of a proprietary grain manure. Sparrowbill Oats. Very little oats of the one time popular Sparrowbill variety are grown nowadays, but Mr Judd harvested a good crop of 40 acres last season, and the nine stacks from it are still standing in the paddock in readiness for next winter, should root crops fail as they did last season. The Sparrowbill is the best 'variety of oats for fowl feed, and [in years of a wheat shortage has a I special value on that account. The field was again sown in the variety this season for grazing for the ewes, and it is well stocked. A 34-acre field of rape and oats, sown alternately in every coulter of the drill, has made an excellent strike, but it wants rain to ensure success. Southland Ryegrass. An interesting "exhibit" on the farm was a 16-acre field of Southland ryegrass. It was sown four years ago, and has given two seed crops in addition to heavy grazing. The straw from the threshed seed was stacked and fed to the ewes in the winter, and they ate it with avidity. It is a question if Hawke's Bay ryegrass would be so palatable. Care of Implements. In spite of the demand on sheds made by new power machinery, Mr Judd finds space for sheltering the old working equipment. Many farmers cannot find this for the new. An old wool waggon did yeoman service 35 to 40 years ago, a Wood side-delivery, which brought back recollections of the old hand-tying days, and which is still requisitioned for clover crops, was in use 30 years ago. A wide-tyred grain waggon carried its 90 bags of wheat to the station before the days of the motor-lorry. It will be a curiosity in a few years. A dray bought from a well-known Christchuich firm in 1896, painted a:; if new, is tucked away in the shed, and is probably worth more to-day than when bought new. Another dray of similar antiquity is unique in that its wheels were brought from Syd» ney in the early days, and are probably 70 years old, but as sound as ever. It pays to house the implements.