MAIZE-PICKING STARTS ON FLATS IN FINE WEATHER

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 22952, 21 May 1949, Page 8

MAIZE-PICKING STARTS ON FLATS IN FINE WEATHER

DRIERS USED AGAIN

This week farmers have beefi taking advantage of ihe fine weather to get in their maize. Mechanical and hand-pickers have been engaged at the full-time job on the earlyplanted crops.

Yields have been surprisingly good and it was some weeks ago that many growers commenced to get anxious concerning their valuable crib space. Cribs that have been able to store crops from equivalent acreages in past seasons appeared as though they would be too small and late applications were made for a few more sheets of iron. Unfortunately, the full allocation for the district had been used up.

Through force of circumstances, at this time last year quantities of maize from flooded land went from the paddocks to the driers at the Kaiti works. The outcome was apparently quite successful from the growers and the millers’ points of view, because bookings have already been made with the works and it is expected that the driers will commence operating within a week or 10 days when the beef killings fall off.

Growers using the driers last year saw a future in this method as opposed to the natural drying in the cribs because they reduced handling and eliminated the costly cribbing. On the other hand, the millers, in certain cases, welcomed supplies of maize in June, July and August as it was normally a slack season. Their man! requirements were for a relatively dry, hard seed in which the moisture content was low enough to prevent mould and other damage.