CANTERBURY HARVEST

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 February 1940, Page 5

CANTERBURY HARVEST

MACHINES’ RECORD WORK. [PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, February 12. The increased use of header harvesters, in handling the Canterbury wheat crop this season, has deprived many men of their usual seasonal occupation. More than 500 headers ploughed through-the rich wlieatlands of the province and brought in this season’s harvest in what must be record time.

The unbroken spell of fine weather meant that the'harvest'.was virtaully. .over In a month from" start to' finish.l Men who normally visit Canterbury' at this season to find employment oni threshing mills, and on farms hare • been disappointed. A ’big contingent came from the North Island and oth-i ers from the South. They found little| work,: for a_farmer_aiid_Jus .son-can--op’eraf.e affieafier, which does the work; of cutting, threshing and bagging in' one operation. ...... .'■ . o - n l Based on the.official estimate-of 331 bushels to,'the 7 acre, NeW Zealand’©' wheat harvest,- this season; may-yield - nearly 9,000,000 bushels, .enough; to meet'domestic requirements- for ..a year.: A great: increase' ifi area has made : this .possible, foi*; last season’scrop yielded only 5,564,136 . bushels, with an average of 29.4't0 the acre.. ; According to the Government Statis-! tician; of NeW Zealand, the average of--33 bushels to the acre will, produce, j 8, 547,000 bushels off the estimated ( area of 259,000 acres. 'Many-observers believe the area will actually 1 prove toj be verv much greater, probably in the j vicinitj- of 270,000 acres. It is point-) iedJoiit that a great deal of wheat was ! sowh in September, and even' liter,, as) •the reSult of'the appeal by the Minister of Supply (Mr. Sullivan). '