GENERAL FARM ITEMS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2971, 8 January 1917, Page 10

GENERAL FARM ITEMS

Many fruitgrowers iii'Hawke's Bay have had a bad season this year (states our JS'apier correspondent). In. many places peaches are scarce, while nectarines havo rotted on tho trees without ripening. Strawberries have been unusually scarce, and the hot sun, following heavy rain, lias completely ruined somo of tho tomato crops. Tomatoes are fetching Is. per lb. Apples appear to be unusually plentiful. The "Wairarapa Standard" states that with the exception of a few light showers of rain, lino weather has continued for nearly two months, and the country is becoming more Sand moro parched Up in consequence. A heavy downpour will bo welcomed. Farmers are still busily engaged in getting in their hay crops (states tho Pahiatua "Herald"). In a number of cases the harvest in j this district is stacked and crops are reported to bo good. All tho available labour has been utilised, the rate of pay, it is reported, ranging from Is. 6d. to 2s. 6d. an hour, according to conditions. Tho showers on Wednesday night, while generally welcomed, wero not appreciated by haymakers. Haymaking has been the principal means by which'the farmers hereabouts have employed their abundance of "leisure" , hqurs of late, and tho fields have presented quite an animated scene (writes the Mangahao correspondent of the Pahiatua "Herald"). Tho light rain -which has now fallen will stop haymaking for a while, but the benefit the pastures and . newlysown turnip crops wall receive will easily outweigh this inconvenience. A Taranaki settler, who "lias just returned, from ii trip to Marlborough, states that he met a farmer there -,v7io had taken off one piece of land threo crops of lucerne, and he expected to out two more. ,Tho crops averaged something like four tons\to the acre, valued at about £16, which shows the possibility of growing this rapid-grow-ing fodder on suitable land. Harvesting operations have commonced in South Canterbury, and in a few weeks should become general. At present theru is no dearth of labour tor harvest purposes, but what will be tho state of the labour market when harvesting becomes general it is somewhat premature to state. The Canterbury fruitgrowers have j evidently great faith in the industry. Additions are being made to many orchards, while large fruit cool stores are being erected. One Papanui grower is adding to his 12,000-case cool store another of similar capacity, while it Papanui syndicate is putting up ono of 35,000 eases capacity. Tho Tai Tapu correspondent of/ the "Lytteltou Times" says: The country in the Halswell and Tai Tapu districts presents a parched appearance, and is badly in need oi. a good rainfall. Tho various cdreal crops on the whole are fairly good. There are several fine paddocks of oats to be seen along the Halswell-Tai Tapu Boad, and the reaper is at work in several of them, while stooking and stacking is going on in others. Tho few crops of barley observable aro very stunted. The Peninsula Hills as a result of the continued hot, dry weather, present a burnt up appearance. Not for many years havo tho hills in this locality had such a ■heavy eovering of tussock grass, tho heavy rains of the late winter no doubt accounting for this. Any'grass fires that may occur will havo an added seriousness in consequence: The rich golden brown tint of the hillsides relieved here and there by patches of dark green native bush and shrub at the present ..time form.a.very pretty background to Tai Tapu. The coastal lands are very bare, and the tanks in Opunake are dry, remarks the local paper. A'slight •'.shower-fell on Tuesday, the first rain for three weeks. The flowers and plants looked very disgusted when, the sprinkling ceased. If rain does- not 'soon come, the pumpkin patches will end a thirsty life. ■■ ■ : ' ■'•