THE COLONY'S CROPS. HARVESTING NOTES FROM THE WAIRARPA.

Evening Post, Volume LVII, Issue 21, 26 January 1899, Page 2

THE COLONY'S CROPS. HARVESTING NOTES FROM THE WAIRARPA.

[oue own corespondent.] Carterton, This Day. Farmers are having a trying time just now with their harvesting. Scarcely a day passes without a fall of rain, and stooks are to be seen in many paddocks much discoloured. Smut is strongly in evidence in the uncut fields of corn, and armies of caterpillars have devastated large areas of oats. The high winds have also helped to reduce the estimated yield of what promised a few weeks back to be the richest harvest for many a year. There is everywhere abundance of grass, and the bulk of the hay was harvested tfifcb&ufc.'loss.^ ~ , „ Notwithstanding that 4ias been written in favour of "Siloing," there is not a stack of ensilage (to my knowledge, and I have made enquiries in all directions) in the whole of the Wairarapa— North or South. The season ■ has been particularly favourable to the making of ensilage, on account of its being a wet one, but farmers are not educated up to this useful method of providing a safe and valuable form of fodder.

Naturally, the root crops are doing well, especially mangolds, which are not troubled so much with the fly as turnips are. Tlifere are large areas in rape, which are ' giving promise of rich- return in the fattening dff of sheep. Its value is becoming generally recognised by farmers. It is quite a common iemarjc " What a splendid season for dairying !" As a matter of fact, the abundance of feed tins summer has not made any perceptible difference in the milk supply at the several factories in this district. ' If anything, there is a falling-off, and it is not to be wondered at When the starved condition of the cattle last Avinter is taken into consideration. The drought last summer, and the grass fires, left very little hay, and thefe was no growth in the grass in the autumn, consequently the dairy stock everywhere were reduced to skin and bone, many deaths resulting. The cattle ravenously attacked the new grass in the flush of the splendid spring which followed, and put on flesh at a rapid rate, which "proved a serious trouble at the calving season. It is to next year our farmers must look for the benefit to be derived from the present bountiful harvest. The autumn grass is assured, and there is plenty of hay for the coming winter to keep the cows up in condition, so that when next spring opens, instead of having to put it on their backs, the cows will fill the pails. For dairy farmers it is safe to predict a better result financially next season than the present. The caterpillars, which are ravaging the crops in the Wairarapa at present, are in "myriads." A paddock of oats may be free from the pest one week, and the next half destroyed. They come out at night time, crawl up the stalks, and sever the grains or corn by eating through the pedicles at their junction with the stem They do not eat the grain. The insect, which does not exceed three-quarters of an inch in length, is of a dirty greenish colour, is said to be the grub of a small brown or green bug which, on fine, clear summer nights fly around in thousands, more particularly so at twilight, and are destructive to the green leaves of shrubs. A good area of grain between Timaru and Terauka has now been cut. Nearly all the oats and barley are in stook, and reapers and binders are busy in all directions among the wheat. Some of the latter is a little on the green side yet, but most of the area is quite ripe. The Timaru Herald hears that owing to the crops being so heavy there is a large de mand for binder twine, and that reapers and binders are being put to severe tests. The Clive correspondent of the Napier Telegraph wrote at the beginning of the week :— " Harvest operations are now in full swing, haymaking and thrashing going on in nearly every part, and farmers now have their hands full with the grain. I hear that hordes of caterpillars are working devastation among oat crops still uncut. I do not think the continued showery weather has had the bad effect upon the grain that many supposed, whilst it has had a most beneficial effect upon the pastures. There is much speculation in North Canterbury over the prices likely to obtain, but the most sanguine do not appear to expect more than 2s 6d per bushel for their wheat. There are some rather large lines of last year's wheat, held for 5s per bushel, still on hand in North Canterbury, and the owners are doubtless sorry that they refused 4s lOd and 4s lid per bushel. Wheat harvesting has already commenced on the Papakaio Plain (says an Oamaru paper). Several large crops have been cut, and as soon as the weather clears up work will be general. For wheat and oatf the rain has been rather beneficial in nlosi parts, but barley, of which there is a larger proportion this year than usual, is suffering a good deal. According to the North Otago Times, owners of crops that are approaching ripeness are concerned as to when the weather is going to take up. So far the harm done is more than compensated by the good. Had the crops been ripe the hot, steamy weather would in all probability have sprouted the grain, but the wheat crop generally is not sufficiently advanced for this, and the only damage that can be done is to the oats that are cut, and by the discolouration of the barley crops. The very little wheat that is ripe enoagh to cut may be injured ; but all over, the wet weather has done more good to the district than harm. But a continuance of the same weather will before long occasion some anxiety. The crops in North Canterbury, which are from a week to a fortnight in advance of those in this district, have- fared badly both from wind and rain, but the crops here and in South Canterbuy have not reached the stage at which much injury can be done.