The Star. SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1881. THE HARVEST.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume I, Issue 82, 22 January 1881, Page 2

The Star. SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1881. THE HARVEST.

Our Southern neighbors have a large capital invested in the grain-growing business, and consequently watch the several markets for their produce with a degree of care that far excels that bestowed upon the subject by the average farmer in the North Island. For the same reason, the harvest prospects are very keenly discussed in the local Press ; and those who desire to obtain sufficient data to enable them to form a fairly reliable opinion as to the probable result of this year's harvest can do so by a careful study of the Canterbury and Otago papers. Judging from the reports which have already been published, we gather that a i iair crop may be expected in the grain-

growing districts.

Dry weather in the

spring interfered slightly with what promised at one time to be above an

average crop, but in many parts a showery summer has improved the appearance of affairs very considerably, and upon the whole the farmers look forward to a profitable season.

In this district oats are generally regarded as the staple crop rather than wheat. The chief difficulty which most of the farmers hereabouts have had to contend with has been the overgrowth of rank soft straw. Several growers have

this year tried the experiment of feeding down the young growth in the spring time until late in October, or even in one or two cases, up to the end of November. The light volcanic soil here needs consolidation, and the treacling by the stock is a far more effectual means of doing so than rolling. In other cases, the farmers have tried to avoid the above drawback by late sowing. It is difficult to say as yet, which of the two experiments is likely to succeed the best. The present season, having been moist throughout, has proved exceptionably favorable to late-sown crops. One small patch of oats, which was sown on the Waimate on the Ist of November, promises to yi Id nearly thirty bushels to

;he acre. And another area of perhaps

twenty acres, near the Waingongoro, of late-sown oats, seems likely to yield more. Of the oats which were fed down late, it is as yet somewhat difficult to predict what they may turn oxm. They have stooled out and thickened up very much within tho last week, and crops which a few weeks ago threatened to be almost a Mluro, Boom now likely to turn out a fair crop of say from 25 to 80 bushels. We ahould not be surprised, if the net results from these backward crops were not more

than equal to those obtained from grain which two months ago seemed likely to

turn out four or five times as much. Some of the more forward grain, especially that on newly broken up land, has already suffered from the caterpillars, and much of it is laid and twisted. Under these circumstances, considerable loss occurs in harvesting ; the grain which lies lowest does not ripen off, and the handling of the crop before stacking is far more difficult and expensive. It would be useless to attempt to predict what sort of yield may be threshed out from the wheat in this district. Even those who have had the advantage of a long experience in this district, admit that it is very difficult to judge a standing crop.

Some of Mr. (Javerhill's, aud all Mr. Hunter's wheat promises a splendid return ; but seeing that there may be and often is a large percentage of the h' ads which do not fill, or are only partially filled with grain, a very careful examination is needed before attempting to assess the probable yield. In the other island the question of the best market for oats has been long and earnestly discussed, and upon the whole it would seem that it is a safe and paying speculation to ship sound, hard, and heavy oats to London. It is doubtful whether the oats grown in this district will compare favorably with those grown in a colder climate. But assuming that the quality is good, a number of returns have been recently published, which prove that the English market is worthy of the attention of grain exporters. For instance, — at a committee meeting of the Clutha Agricultural Society, a Mr. Eobson said that " a friend of his in Southland had informed him that, when shipping oats for Melbourne, 100 bushels had by mistake been put on board a Home vessel. Instead of transhipping he allowed it to go Home. The grain sent to Melbourne realised lid. per bushel ; and for that sent Home, 2s. 3d. — The Chairman said he had sent Home 1000 bushels as a trial shipment, and would report the result as soon as it was ascertained." The Oamaru Mail recently published the account sales of G7B bags of oats, which had been sent Home by Mr. Hugh Ross, which showed that the gross proceeds were J512, and the expenses, i-169 ; the net proceeds for 3015 bushels being, 2s. 3£d. per bushel, £34:2 12s. 6d. Assuming that the whole expenses are accurately shown by the above figures, the writer calculates that "if oats bring in London per 3361b5. 28s. and freight 405., the net in New Zealand is 2s. 4d. ; if oats bring in Glasgow per 3201b5. 28s. and freight 205., the net in New Zealand is Is. Bd. ; if oats bring in London per 3361b5. 28s. and freight 605., the net in New Zealand is Is. 10£ d." In a subsequent issue of the Oamaru Mail, "A Shipper" points out that several charges had been omitted, which might reduce the price by 5d., or possibly 6d., per bushel.

We notice that Mr. Lawes, whose annual estimate of the English wheat harvest has proved itself very trustworthy for many years, anticipates a harvest somewhat above the usual English average of from 28 to 30 bushels of wheat. It will be remembered that in 1879 the season was so bad that the average yield was only about 16 bushels. He expects that Great Britain will require some 14 million quarters, or 112 million bushels, to make up the quantity of wheat which she will require. The United States could more than supply this deficiency, as an American correspondent of the North British Agriculturist writes: — " I believe that the United States of America have thjs year reaped 480,000,000 bushels of wheat — the biggest ever grown. Estimating 50,000,000 consumers at 5 bushels per capita, and 50,000,000 bushels ' (1^ bushel per acre) for the seeding of our 33,000,000 acres, there will be left for export 180,000,000 bushels, or 22,000,000 quarters, which will more than meet the requirements of Europe." The same writer, however, admits that nearly a third of the spring wheat has been damaged by bad harvest we .ther, English writers generally estimate that about 5£ bushels, and American writers about 5 bushels of wheat per head of population will be required for home consumption. In New Zealand, seven bushels or more per head, in addition to that required for seed, are usually retained for use within the colony.