PASTURES AND CROPS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1705, 24 March 1913, Page 10

PASTURES AND CROPS.

OFFICIAL FEBRUARY KEPOKTS, Included in tho, official'reports by officer* of the. Melds, and Experiments Division "of the Department of Agriculture on tho condition of tho crops and pastures throughout jN'ew. Zealand, as at February, aro the'following:— Stratford.—A fino growing inonth, which hais kept' pastures and crops fresh. Meadow hay and oaten hay navo been well saved. Farmers aro now stalling to use their maize, and the milk supply is keeping, up-well. Thoso who left tlie Bowing of their turnips until late in tho season have patchy crops, and thes» nro being • attacked by tiio Diamond-buck inotli. Present prospects for winter le«i are pood.

Ilawera.—Pastures aro making a good recovery, and turnips, mangolds, carrots, and other green crops are making excellent growth since the rains set' in. Swedes are, so far, free from blight, but rot has appeared in. a good many lunrp crops of the soft varieties. The small areas of potatoes grown are yielding wen, tubers being sound and free from blight. . All classes of stock are mi good condition'. -Supplies at factories arc alill good, although a rapid ialling-off must naturally Soon bo looked :or. Slangaweka.—There is still an abundance of/feed, and future prospects -or farmers hi.this district'are bright. Considering the* dryness of ,'.he month,: stock of all kinds are doing well. » i Pahiatua.—Tho intermittent showers .and heavy : dews have dono a lot ol &ood, giving the pastures a. start, also all root crops. Referring to root crops, a sntler in tho Pohgaroa district had a nail acre of Californian thistle, which was dug Just 'spring, and swedes sown in November. "H6'has''fully'2o-tons of■ turnips,' and not o. thistle to be seen, on the patch. North :Wairarapa.—-Turnips, rape, aud ali'green . crops have improved, ejeept where tho blight-has completely desrcruy&l the' crops, factory' suppliers state that ,the ..average is well' maintained. Stock off-all descriptions aro looking well,'aLd, if this favourable weather continues,■ should Winter well.' Grain crops, by ail accounts, are going to thresh out wei! up to the; average. .■'■.''

y Jlasterton—All grain props have biin .'harvested in. good condition, tho yield in oats so far being from 70' to 80 bushels. This, of course.yisi not equal to lasc ;>c<ir, :wheu as high a9llO bushels was obtained, and, GO to" .75: bnsliels for wheat, 'ilio ■ wheat has not been threshed yet. Some gbod : crops' of. swedes and mangolds ate noticeable in the district, and there aio• : some/very, -good crops- of.:potato,es.practically free,from'.blight Tho Hessian fly is, reported . to hay© done ' considerable ;damage in somo'lpajts .of ,jtho dstrict. Though some of ; the, inaizo crops were sown late, they are looking well and .promise good yields, There , are some gaoa crops of_peas-in most parts of the district.' - Tomato crops Save been bauiy :'aff«vJ3cd with' blight, and only with < persistant spraying hare- the larger crops been saved. ' All stock axe > looking very |','will." In parts of the district a -blight—CaUfoniiah-thistlc rust (puccinia :suaveolen§)—has been, noticed on this •thistle. This ;• prevents- • tho. thistle from seeding. Some landowners aro endeavouring'tospread it from one patch to another. ! * i , South Wiirarapa.—Practically all .'cops, are'now'harvested, the late crops having been vesry. much stunted. throu{h tho early drought. . The rape crops, except in the low-lying lands have , not been too good this season, owing to tne dry weather. Stock -in general are looking wol 1 i

Wellington.—Steady beneficial . tains freshened up hill pastures, which r-re nowgood, especially on coastal runs, and winter feed is now fairly assured. Oat crops ivero good, r.r.cl were stacked m good condition. Maizo and rape are looking well,' also stock. Advantage was taken of the favourable weather to bum ..out''scrubby and fern patches for regiassing. ■-' ' ' Blenheim—Eain fell on two days, but, owing to tho hardness of the ground, thero was' not enough to penetrate very far, and more rain, is very badly needed.,