THE HARVEST

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21386, 31 January 1935, Page 16

THE HARVEST

ELLESMERE DISTRICT ?" SOME GOOD WHEAT YIELDS? - ' > •.?" Very favourable conditions for hajv vesting work have prevailed iri -tW •• Ellesmere district during the last tyiro * days, and good headway has beea'-" made. In all except the late cropping ' areas the cereals have been reaped.' Many farmers are also well ahead with - their threshing, and quite a number will be finished within the next week or two—an unusual experience for tfifc district, due to the dry weather cans- - ing the crops to ripen much earliey than would haveb een the case uifdfcr • normal conditions. Already a considerable area of land has bee&> ploughed in preparation for next season's crops. / , ■ . Damage to Pea Crops , ~ Last week much time was. lbstthrough the north-west winds, ,thresking and practically all other work being stopped on Saturday, when the wind was exceptionally strong. The - pen' crops, which are very much lighter than usual, suffered very badly through the winds last week: livaay.v places where cutting *had been doh§i and the crop was still lying out in the paddock, it was blown about by. the gale, with heavy loss through the pods opening? In many instances the crops were blown up against fences, and even into adjoining paddocks. Itoners are realising that it is to allow peas to remain in the pandock any longer than is necessary sto |tet them into condition for threshing; in fact, many farmers, now cut and , stacks their peas at the same time, tp' avoid damage through winds. The threshing returns from peas put; through the mill up to- the -present, have, on the whole, been very disappointing. One merchant who had an exceptionally large acreage on contract states that the yields have ranged, from up to 32 bushels to the acre,, though the average would probably -. be little' if any more than 16 bushels. One man who sowed 13 sacks of garden seas obtained 28 sacks. In sev* , eral places where there.was enoughstraw for 40 bushels or more the return was only about 15 bushels; The dry weather has been more severe on peas than on any other crop. Good Wheat Average _i- , Threshing returns available up to thepresent indicate that wheat is likdt to give a much better return than any other cereal, though the average will undoubtedly be lower than -usual' Wheat stands a draught fairly well once it gets a good start Several very good returns have been reported." From a large paddock, in which be had both Hunters and Tuscan, Mr J.; Ludemann, of Southbridee, obtained' an average of over 60 bushels, the Hunters doing rather better than the Tuscan. The same farmer's barley was not nearly as good as usual. .Mr A. McCartin also obtained a .wheat yield of over 60 bushels, but most, of the wheat seems to be running fr<pn--35 to 40 bushels to the acre. Disappointing Barley Crops • *

The barley crops generally do nolT give promise of yielding very - ■ and a fair proportion of the barley* samples inspected up to the prfcsew,have been decidedly on the lean -aoe, though the sample is bright and clean. The oat crops have not been so , light for some years, but in a number of cases good threshes of white- - clover have been tibtained. - ->* -