THE WEEK

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24150, 8 January 1944, Page 3

THE WEEK

AN EARLY HARVEST

Recent indications of an early harvest are being fully confirmed. There is now little grass seed to be mown, most of it either being in stook or in process of threshing. There is now a fair area of oats in stook and in stack. Yields up to normal are expected in very few districts. Peas are patchy. The Blue variety has appeared to stand up better to the dry conditions than Partridge, but this view may be illusory and formed on the greater acreage of Partridge to be seen, and to the fact that the variety is not likely to have been sown on the best paddock sown to peas. Growers have mentioned to the writer that the benefit of ample tillage before the peas were sown has been demonstrated through the lengthy dry period. The well-worked soils have retained the moisture better. This factor applies to all tilled crops. As an instance of the earliness of the harvest, the field day arranged by Lincoln • College for next Tuesday has had to be cancelled, as "most of the crops will be cut,” according to the college announcement. When the date was arranged it was expected that practically all crops, including those of small seeds, would be some distance off the harvesting point, and provide an attractive feature of the day’s inspection. Reports from various parts of the province show that the improvement mentioned last Saturday in the wheat crops has been maintained and improved in some districts during the week as a result of local showers. The big belt of wheat country towards the foothills comes under this description, although in few districts has the last two months’ rainfall been comparable with that of normal seasons. It is fairly plain that there will be few CO to 70 bushel crops to hold up the average yield, but there will be a surprising number of 50 bushel yields in those districts visited by periodical showers —and where the ground had been well worked previous to sowing. From these observations spring-sown wheat can be entirely omitted. There has been only two or three inches of rain since they were sown. Odd samples of Algerian oats were shown merchants before the holiday break, and since resuming business this week a number of samples of both feed and white oats have come forward. The oats generally are a good sample, the white oats weighing to 411b to the bushel and being bright and clean. Merchants are not sanguine that future deliveries will maintain this standard. Wheat threshing has commenced in the Culverden district, which generally is one of the earliest in Canterbury, and samples were on the way to merchants yesterday afternoon. This is a week earlier than usual, and most of the harvesting in the district, moreover, is held for heading.

SOUTHERN CONDITIONS A Canterbury farmer who annually spends his holidays in North Otago and South Canterbury, observing crop and other farm conditions, has just returned from this year’s visit, and he reports a better state of affairs than prevails further north in this province. Useful rains fell during November and December, with the result that both parts were looking well. In North Otago the wheat area appeared to differ little from that of last season. Some of the crops had been tangled by the winds and would be troublesome in harvesting. The December rainfall in North Otago amounted to about li inches, and as it was fairly general it made all the difference to the crops. Yields should be on a par with those of last season, which were, estimated at 36 bushels an acre. The potato crops were late but were healthy looking. The acreage planted did not appear to be large. Oats were not promising, and the Algerian crops looked better than the white oats. There had Ijeeni-a splendid growth of 1 white clover in parts of the district as a result of the November and December rains,.and .the lucerne crops were also looking exceptionally well. In the South Canterbury region it was fairly plain that the wheat acreage would be smaller than last year’s, but there was no reason why the yield should not.be on a parity, as South Canterbury benefited from the rains that fell these last two months. Potato crops appeared to ,be substantially larger in area, and although late, were now showing good growth. In Mid-Canterbury, although there had been some useful rains round the foothills, the visitor was told that prospects fol 1 the county as a whole were for lighter cropping yields and poor prospects on the Plains for rape and other fattening feed. Lack of rain had caused a poof and patchy germination of root crops. Harvesting would be a fortnight earlier than usual. Some fields of wheat on the light country appeared as if they would be ready for the binder next week, but no doubt they would be held until later for heading.

South of the Rangitata the country generally was looking fairly well, more so towards Dunedin, but on the borders of the two provinces the countryside was now drying out under the influence of the warm spell that had set in.

CORSE GRUB EFFECTIVE A welcome item of news comes from North Canterbury of the efficacy of the gorse grub. Mrs Acton-Adams, of Tipapa station, writes that about three years ago, and at a later period, she procured some gorse grubs from the Cawthron Institute and.liberated them at Tipapa. She now finds that the grubs are doing excellent work, and has found as many as 10 of them in the seed pods of the gorse. The grub can be traced for a distance of 15 miles and the writer was full of hope that in time the grubs would rid the country of the gorse menace. Such a distance of time has elapsed since the grub was first brought forward as an effective parasite that interest has dwindled considerably in the result of its operations. Apparently it is a slow worker, but judging from the evidences submitted by Mrs ActonAdams, it is a sure one. In view of the greatly increased incidence of the gorse pest in the last five or 10 years this successful try-out should revive interest in the use of it. Through lack of labour and other causes the gorse pest has probably reached the point where it is the potential No. 1 Public Enemy of the farmer. If the grub can be generally made to operate as successfully as indicated, it will prevent the reseeding of many thousands of acres in gorse.