SANDON GRAIN CROPS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1505, 30 July 1912, Page 8

SANDON GRAIN CROPS.

THE GRASS SEED HARVEST. The district of Snndon and its neighbourliood has for many years bean a largo grain-growing area, but on account of the distanco from rail-carriage, the crops have, says our travelling correspondent,, been mostly threshed. It is generally considered that much cartage, even when the teams belong to the farmer, adds so much to the cost that profitable chaffcutting can only be carried out within easy access to tho railway. For this reason large quantities of splendid oats are threshed in the Sandon district.. Some fine yields (up to 100 bushels to the acre) liavo been obtained during this season. Excellent wheat is also grown here, but very, little barley. During the last few years Sandon has sprang to the very front rank as a producer of grass seed (rye and dogstail), the soil and the' climate seeming to bs particularly adapted to this class of fanning. Remarkable yields of both seeds have been obtained, and in an ordinary season the grass seed harvest has been successfully carried out. This present, reason has been quite an exception. What with wind and rain and no sun, it was more like winter. Of course such adverse conditions were entirely njainst harvest work, and in particular the grass sestl harvest suffered much. Eye seed, so easily shakes out that in a boisterous summer liko we had some of the crops were much less than they would have been ordinarily. It is not that the seed shakes out in the standing grass, -bnt when it is in stook. 'I saw,several paddocks, says our correspondent, in which the harvest had not bsen got in, and of course never would be, the stooks being quits black. It does seem a pity when one sees what would genernly have been a splendid crop or rye grass seed, completely spoiled. However, it is oiie of the many things with which the man on the land has to contend. With crested dojfstail the conditions were bettor, and it is a grass which does not shake out so easily. For this seed Sandon soils have proved eminently suitable. Many years ago when crested dogstail began to "boom," there was a load went into Palmerston to Barrand and Abraham, grown by Mr. Harrison up tho Pohangina, and the price ho got was something like two and six a pound. This year in' Sandon tho price is now at a low ebb, ami merchants have so much in stock that tho grass seed trade for next year, both rye and dogstail, at least by tho growers, will probably be on a verysmall scale indeed. Several of the principal Sandon growers say that they would shut 1 up no paddocks this year. Cocksfoot is in a bad way ,too. One farmer has a large quantity of dressed seed, and the best offer ho can get is foiirpenco half-penny. Early in the year it was worth ninerwnce. However, 4Jd. is much better than the old price of 2Jd. and 3d., which farmers used to get in the bush years ago. Success is quite an easy tiling to obtain when you go after it in the right way. Mangatoki, Eltliain, and other Dairy Factories have gone in for greater success by installing "Victor" Tats. If you want to make the coming season the best yet, place your order for "Victor" Vats now. No time should be lost as a largo number of Vats has been ordered for early delivery. Albert J. Parton, manufacturer, Carterton.—Advt. A WINNER OF COMPETITIONS. The Egg : laying Competitions for 1910-11 and 1911-12 wero both won by pens reared un "A. and. P." Chick Raiser. The first essential for profitable poultry keeping. Obtainable from all StorekeeDers.*