SOUND WINTER OUTLOOK

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27047, 23 May 1953, Page 5

SOUND WINTER OUTLOOK

Pastures And Saved Feed Abundant

WET GROUND DELAYS CULTIVATION

Apart from delayed cultivation, and delayed harvesting of such crops as red clover and potatoes, farms in the northern half of the South Island will go into the winter in very favourable condition, according to the monthly report of officers of the Department of Agriculture covering the districts north of the Waitaki river. Pasture and saved feed is abundant, and livestock are generally in excellent order.

The weather during the first half of April was very wet, cold, apd unsettled. Late in the month it became milder, only to turn wet again. Wet ground is delaying cultivation, and also the harvesting of potatoes and red clover crops. Cultivation for the new season’s wheat crop has been held up practically everywhere, but a few crops have been sown in North Canterbury. A spell of two or three weeks’ fine weather will be needed before the work can be generally resumed. So far there is no sign that the area sown to wheat will be any bigger than that sown last year. Wet weather has held up work, and movements of seed from merchants’ stores have been slow.

It appears that the area sown to oats for grain will be smaller also, and, probably as a reflection of the very sound feed -position, a smaller area of greenfeed oats has gone in. Lifting the main potato crop is now well under way throughout Canterbury. In South Canterbruy yields have varied widely because of the flooding earlier in the year, and range from 2J tons to 15 tons, with the proportion of seed to table high. Mid-Canterbury crops are light, but the quality is good. Many good crops have been dug in the Christchurch area. Blight appears to have been worse in the Leeston-Southbridge area than anywhere else, but it is not nearly as bad as was at first feared. North Canterbury crops have returned light yields, and wet soil conditions and late blight have reduced yields in Marlborough. Potatoes are being shipped to the North Island as fast as they are dug. Pea crops have given small yields everywhere.

Exceptional Progress

Autumn-sown grass seed areas continued to make exceptionally good progress during April, and many required grazing. Sowings of perennial ryegrpss and Hl were continued into April in South Canterbury. The weather has held up the harvesting of red clovers. Most of the Montgomery crops in South Canterbury are ready for harvesting, but few had been threshed by the end of the month. Those threshed have yielded well, and quality has been good, apart from some lack of colour in some lines. Flowering in the Mid-Canterbury crops has been profuse and seed setting fairly good. Favourable harvesting conditions should give a bigger quantity of seed from this district than for some seasons. North Canterbury crops also promise reasonably gbod yields. The cowgrass harvest in Nelson has been delayed, but yields have been good so far. Marlborough yields have been below average, and the weight saved will be substantially below normal.

Negligible quantities of subterranean clover are expected from Marlborough this season, because a restricted area was shut up, and yields were low.

The winter feed position is excellent. Forage crops have made good progress everywhere. Old lucerne stands have made a good recovery from final cuts, and newly-sown areas have established and grown well. A fair area in North Canterbury intended for autumn-sown lucerne will now have to wait until spring for sowing. Stocks of hay are good everywhere, and a much increased quantity of silage will be available in most areas. Pastures'have so far received only a very slight check, and are everywhere carrying a good deal more growth than is usual at this time of year.