Sidelights On Crop Activities In Gisborne Area

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22817, 11 December 1948, Page 8

Sidelights On Crop Activities In Gisborne Area

The late rains of this season have had varying effects, mostly good, on the pastures and crops of the Gisborne district. Kay balers have been busily engaged in the past week by farmers controlling the flush of growth and adding to their store of winter teed. The paddock inspection of the 700odd acres of ryegrass and clovers has been completed by the officers of the Fields Division of the Department of Agriculture. While it is stated that there is a variation in the crops, the bulk of the entry in the certification of seeds promises to yield cut well. As usual, it was stated, goose-grass was faily prevalent.

In the realm of cropping, the last heavy rains caught up with some farmers lade in sowing down their paddocks. One 60-acre block of peas, as well as other small areas aggregating in all about 100 acres, split in the rain-soaked soil and failed to take. For the same reason there was an estimated area of about 100 acres of maize that tailed to germinate throughout the district and had to be resown. Some of the barley does not look as healthy as it might do.

The cutworm is still active to a minor degree in maize plantings, but more particularly in The Willows settlement.