FARMING IN WAIRARAPA.

Evening Post, Volume LIX, Issue 2, 3 January 1900, Page 5

FARMING IN WAIRARAPA.

[OUB SPECIAL EEPOETEE.] On the whole, the appearance of the country throughout the VVairarapa aft the present time is much the same as early in the New Year of 1899. For the greater part green is the prevailing colour, but paddocks of the more forward and golden-hued cereals are fairly numerous. In some instances crops are so ripe that farmers, rather than risk the possibility of rain are working Sundays and holidays to get them in.' Fortunately there has been no recurrence of the disastrously dry Beason of the end of 1897, when everything Avas so dry that a mere spark would have set acres ablaze, and when the bush fires wrought so much damage. In fact, bush fires have not yet put in an appearance to any extent at all this season. When a Post representative journeyed through the district early last year find had chats with the setuers in different localities, the report heard on all sides was: "Everything is in splendid condition, and .the prospects are excellent." This year, from what could be ascertained in a similar manner, it appears that the conditions are not perhaps- quite so good, but there are' strong indications everywhere of a successful season. There has been really no drawback except the late spring, as there have been no long spells of dry weather. At time of writing, however, rain would be very weli come to some. There was not much land under wheat in South Wairarapa last year, nor is i there much now, but there is a- greater ai'ea under oats than ever. The crops generally are in very fair condition, and the prospects for harvest are, on the average, as good as last year, as, though things are a little bit later, there is ample evidence that there will be a good season. Grass is very plentiful and feed good, and good crops of hay are reported pretty well all over the district. Fewer onions are being grown this year, the disastrous markets last season discouraging growers in that respect. There is, however, a considerable area under potatoes. More rape than ever has been put down in South Wairarapai for fattening lambs. In two or three sheep stations, too, mangolds are being grown, instead of turnips for fattening sheep, and some who nave tried them — especially the Golden Tanka-rd Mangoid— aver that they are far better for this purpose than turnips. The discordant note in one article at the beginning of 1899 was the low price for wool, but in this matter farmers are tt&w.morc jub- " ilant as wool io up, and there are indications that it will remain so. This is regarded as decidedly cheering, and another cheering thing to sheep farmers is the price for lambs, -which is Is higher than last year, while lambs seem to be doing very well. There were also some large percentages in lambs in the past season. Sheep and stock generally are healthy and in good condition. The dairy industry is still on the increase, and a now private factory has been opened at *Kana.utara by Messrs. Williams Bros., who send a considerable quantity of cream to Wellington twice a week. Several dairy farmers have adopted tho idea of fattening pigs on turnips, and it has been found to, bo attended wj,th very satisfactory results, the pigs iatten,ing very fast. The ani-* mals are driven in the same way as a flock of sheep. The complaint is made by some that the small birds exact too heavy a toll for their services, hut one settler infoimed our representative that the bmfo had not been so very troublesome except the larks on rape seed. Up to the present the small bird nuisance in the Wairarapa has not been too serious, but it ~js a matter which must be cai fully watched, and one of our informants in the vicmity of Mastertpn strongly urges the authorities not to lose sight of it. The report as to the fruit culture 1.3 much the same. There is no encouragement whatever to growers, for even were the depredations of the codlin moth, scale, and birds overcome, the price for even the best frn.it is so low. "The fact is," said ons well-known settler, "what is wanted is a strong combination among the farmers." He went on to strenuously advocate such a combination, wh.ieh would result in a much better return being obtained for all produce, fruit included. He realised the difficulty that always existed in getting farmers to combine in this, way, but pointed out how much everything was at present in favour of the dealers and buyers. A combination w.ould not, of course, abuse its power, for do so would merely be to bring* in outside competition. But thsre must be intelligence combined with marketing as well as with producing, and all oiher branches of farm woik.