THE CROPS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LI, Issue 5598, 3 February 1879, Page 6

THE CROPS.

SOUTH CANTERBURY. , ’ There is perhaps, no season since, grain growing became the leading industry, in ]Canterbury, that so much public anxiety has been expressed for the tillers of the soil and the result of their past year’s labour, than during the season now nearly concluded. The springand summer of the previous year were, unprecedentedly dryland - the drought was decidedly against the, profitable growth of any description of grain ;] but by comparison with the present season, there was almost a complete absence of violent northwesterly winds, and .the crops sown on light land did not.suffer so severely. Added to this, rain fell much earlie? in Uec. 1877, and it had the effect of saving many of the earlysown crops, which were almost completely ruined by the intense and continuous hot weather. The great cause of alarm, in a Idition to the long drought this season, was the unusual prevalence of violent uortj-veit winds and the parching influence they had upon the.young plants a few weeks after, the SMd had ‘ germinated, but fortunately for South Canterbury several genial, show.rs of rain fell in the, spring; and most of ] the crops shot up sufficiently high to' cover the ground, and thus retain the moisture in the soil; They then struggled on for months without'a drop of. rain, and most of' them were looked upon as likely to give a very indifferent yield, if indeed they would be worth batting. Early this month things looked very bad, and some of the crops were ripening prematurely, when the much desired rain fell in copious showers, and gladdened the hearts of the farmers, although most people thought it had come too late. ■ It is true that in a good many instances, oven in such a splendidly favoured grain growing district as South Canterbury, the rain was decidedly late in coming, still it did an incalculable amount of good, and placed the district in a sound commercial position. It is pleasing to be in a position to state, after having' made a,careful inspection of the crops in all parts of the Geraldine and Waimate Counties, that the average yields of both wheat and oats will be in excess of last year, and the samples will be. fully equal,, if not superior, to the previous year’s crop. The area of land under crop is much larger than last year, and the grain is being secured in excellent condition. There has been no scarcity of harvest labour as yet, and the harvest in the Geraldine County is now in full swing. The average price paid for tying grain this year is 8s per acre, and as the straw is short good wages are being made by harvest hands. A good many reapers and binders are now at work, but" their number is much smaller than one would expect to see. Many farmers are under the impression that these machines are not suitable for cutting on Abe down ; lands which predominate in South Canterbury, but such an impression is quite erroneous, as proved by the successful working of several machines inspected-during the tour of the district at present under notice. It must be admitted that the .“filter ’A. machines do their .work on very steep slopes better than any machine at present in use, but it is very rarely indeed that slopes are met with that the modern reaper and binder machines could not work upon. The weather up till Thursday last was aU that could be desired for ripening and gathering in the crops, but the noisy appearance pf our old friends, the nor’-westers, on Thursday last, did a little damage to the over-ripe crops of wheat. Little injury was done to oat, crops, nearly aU of which, are late, the early ' ones having been nearly all secured some days ago. The following are the particulars concerning our annual crop inspection GERALDINE COUNTY.

Last - Year's Statistics.— Number of acres in wheat, 31,343; gross produce, 772,012 bushels. In oats (exclusive of 1296 acres for green food and hay), 18,502 acres; gross produce, 583,819 bushels. In barley, 2022 acres, producing 5.6,686 bushels. As the boundaries of the different Road Board Districts in this County are not all very intelligible for the purpose of estimating the probable average yield of grain in each Road district, and as in the County south of it the Road Board districts no longer exist, it has been considered more expedient in estimating probable yields to give the average for each County. Before doing so, however, it will be interesting to ‘ enter into a detailed description of the crops in all parts of the County in. the order in which they were visited. Leaving Timaru and travelling through the part of the district west of it between the Wai-iti road and the back of the Levels estate, it was found that a great deal more crop was grown than during the previous year. There was more wheat than oats, but the proportion of the former to the latter was much larger than in any other part of the County, the estate known as Kingsdown excepted. The wheat crop in some places was thin, especially on the easterly and southerly slopes, and in some fields the grain was patchy ; that is, the average in some places would not represent more than from 10 to 15 bushels per acre, while in others, in the same paddock, it would go up to from 40 to 50 bushels. Generally, however, the crops were very even, much more so indeed than one couldreasonahly expect to see aftersuchasevere and parching summer. The straw in most cases was short, but .the’ ears were well filled and the samples were undoubtedly good. On MrT. W. Hall’s estate the Messrs Sealey were harvesting between 200 and 300 acres of excellent Velvet Chaff wheat, which ought to average 40 bushels per acre. TMs is the class of wheat principally! grown in the part of the district under notice, although the sorts known as “ Hunter’s White ” and “Purple Straw,” were also grown, but in much smaller quantities. The oat! crops were nearly all snort in the straw, but well headed, and most of the “ Canadians,” being an early sort, were out and in stodk. This class of oats was not yielding so well as the “ Tartarians,” but as it is generally worth ;more money in the market, the difference in price will tend to equalise matters. The “Tartarians” are all backward, bnt they sire now reaping the benefits of the late rains, and filling out in a manner which must be most gratifying to their owners,, The latter will have no reason to complain of the yield of all kinds of cereals on the /down land this year, for, all things considered, it is no exaggeration to say they are ldbking splendid. . Barley is not much cultivated in this part, and only a few small patches were Met with, excepting a pro-mising-looking field of fifty, acres owned by Mr Rutherford. /Returning. to the Wash' dyke, one or two.'crdps or Canadian oats, which looked a a month or two ogo/ were-being harvested, and they promise' a lyield Of fu% 35 bashels per acre.

T7ollowintt along the Pleai»ut.Point rood, and bS in the direction Kerry Town, Things looked Suggested the idea tW embark m the grain should endeavour to select. down.lftmMven if ho paid double.; the ; The numerous North ; of the writer will say, . Burel^_^! n some mistake about thirras m onr eiperience reasonably gpod>nfe'an preferable to downlland. ’ The anrwer is decidedly yes, if by you mean such as is generally found on theMoerab, Ashley, and Mount Grey downs j but tho down land in South Canterbury is totally different from, anything that is to be found in the localities •just mentioned. Here there is beautiful black soil from 10 to 15 and in some cases 18 inches deep, with a free, friable clay subsoil which does not require any amount of heart-' breaking work to sweeten it sufficiently tor the profitable production of grain. In point-, ing out the superiority of the down land; m South Canterbury for grain growing, it is not, intended to assert that there is notland.qn the Geraldine County; Plain equal to; it. There are lands which will be refemdto in duo course superior in.all points to the best of the down land, but these, are exceptions! which do not alter the rule by which the standard is obtained. Going Sack to the point at which this not unpardonable digression took place it may be stated that the land,; in and around Kerry; Town is not all, ot third rate quality. Some of the farms near Washdyke on either ‘ride of the Temuka road, and up the south side of the Arrowhenua river beyond the Waitohi road, are as good ps any agriculturist .could 'desire, but in most other places it is light and stony, and being; held in small blocks has been cropped too often, hence the miserable appearance of the crops in a dry season.; Oats is the principal cereal grown in this part of the country, and some growing near .the Arowhenua railway station are yielding splendidly. One. crop for instance which was being threshed; from the "stook should yield an average of • close upon 60 bushels,* As against this fully, threo-fourths of the oat crops right up to Pleasant point have suffered so much from • tlie drv season that they are very light indeed. Some of them are very tliiri,' ahd the straw in places- is* not more than sis inches long.. Along the inuiu .roadf;U;>-?io the Point the fields are ve.y palchr, and-shqw.a: JecomT growth.' One or two fields on, theiace of .the Levels downs, running (o'the rp'ad, arenA worth the expense-of cutting. A_ reaper ijnd,, binder was at work in a h-.-ul of wheat here which was so li”lit anil- thin that it did i (it, yield mogo that! two ordinary stocks to the 1 ” aere. The wheat in, the .direct ion of Stonyer.’s; mill i» looking,wel 1, and spine of it will yield* close upon'4o bushels per acre. There’ aye a few patches of barley, but. VOTV litt-le other crop round the- rapioly ihcyeasibgl arid meat little toiynship ot Pleasant Point, with its two" rather prepossessing and comfortable epputry* hotels. TheXitnd Company having decided to cut up a portion of their estate -here into' suitable-sizad.farrasjit’an aearly, date ought to give an impetus to the trade .of this town,’the inhabitants of which should nob object to a* land tftx if it have the effect ‘ of bringing'into' the market and - settling' on the ad j oiningcountry a. population of industrious farmers ■ instead of; a few thousand sheep.’ Beyond; the Point, on. the Levels'estate, there is, a'; large, quantity of crop which has suffered a good deal from the drought, and will riot yield a high average. The crops rip the' Totara Valley (.chiefly data) iwe late, but they are looting remarkably, healthy, and with' favourable weather during the next fortnight' ought to yield well. Crossing the river, and getting bn - to the -Waitohi flat, both the oatand wheat- crops, although mostly short in the straw and rather thin, are well headed, and looking very even and promising. There is a wonderful improvement in this district since last year in the shape of gorse being cleared off the roads. Formerly, some ofthese roads were so overgrown; by seed from, neglected gorse fences as to be almost impassable. There is more crop in this district , than last year, and a larger area of oats' thanwheat. Passing up the Rangitira Valley the ’ crops improve very much. Wheat and oats . have been sown in about equal quantities, and - with the exception of a few fields of the: latter, which are light and short in the straw, the crops here look more even and in better' condition than in moat other parts 7 6f thb ‘ country. Blue-gum plantingis.hpre indulged in to a wonderful extentby some fanners, who are doubtless unintentionally providing shelter and excellent breedings ground for, those common nuisances'the sparrows, which' are increasing in South’ Canterbury H a ratio more than proportionate with the wholesale destruction practised upon'- them in the. northern parts of the provincial district. Near one of these plantations there was a cfbp of early wheat In shook over. a. week ago, which promised to yield about 50 bushels; per acre On the Upper Arowhenua Block, which was cut up and sold last autumn by Messrs Ford' and’ Newton,' there ;is"a large, quantity of. splendid crop, which, being closer tp the ; hins, ; seems to have .benefited- by - the summershowers that did not res oh the plains. ’ The crops are nearly all late in this part, but they, wilt yield wel 1 . ; Wheat; is the; chief cereal' cultivated, although bats‘ofe 1 The crops on the flat near ; -Hilton do hot look so promising. Both, wheat and oats are light, poorly-headed, . and pateliy. The grain grown on the downs on either side of the Kakau Valley is looking better than it did last year, and is cutting-well. Mr Milne and another have nearly BC3 acres of crop on Mr, E. P. Sealey’s land It is principally wheat, and .-being! very early for this part of thei country is now all harvested. The wheat ought to yield 25, and the oats 35 bushels per acre. -Bound in the direction of Kakabri hush the crops do not look so well. Thrie it very .little wheat grown here, and, like the oats, it is light. Down the Kakahn flat, ftnd in the direction of Geraldine, nearly all the crops are miserably thin; and wretched-look-ing. There is little wheat grown and the batsi most of which were too far advanced to benefit inuoh- by the late rains, will hardly compensate for the labour oft- cutting, theriri Around Geraldine, itself there is very little crop. _ Going on to the Wftihi bush district there is a fair quantity of crops, ‘ chiefly oats! but nearly a 1! grown on the flat is light. Op the downs south of .the valley, there are tome promising Ipooking wheat and oats, some of which are now ready to cut. Proceeding on over the Orari river, by the elaborate arid substantial looking bridge on the main line of road, one is brought to a sudden halt by finding that the north approach to it is washed away, and that; thb main stream of the rivet! is flowing along under a steep, bank, leaving a distance, of about half a chain between it and the erid of the bridge. ; It is ,A disgrace to the distinct that such an expensive structure as thisbridgeshould be rendered useless, when an of about £2CO in repairs would make? ifi; ariulablo for traffic. The constiuojtioii. of an inexpensive! groin upstream etp keep the scour off the north bank wouldprevent further damage and gradually divert the main stream into one of its old channels. . A- groin similar to .those used by Mr White in-the Eakaia is all that would be rieqriired. ; In the meantime, the; local Hoad Board would do well to haveilhia bridge blocked at- the south end, and prevent travellers being led into a. dangerous trapln crossing the Fridge, especially, at flight. Having forded the river ahd;.(ravened the; Upper Bangxtota district, there whs not mwoh to he seen in thoVayof crops till the railway, hue was reached, and those met.withwew of a very light description. There are some very; fair craps. on > Bangitata Island, but the area of gram sown is not large, The; crops in the lower JBapdtetft. district, thaths onthb land between tlie railway, linc and the sea, are nearly, AU -looking. wB., too there decided improvement in; thelqwalityottlie! land m this part. Moving -in; q southerly direction again by the main rOad, and crossing the Oran river,near, Ihe; township.onesud-: denly observes that he has got nuf of u miserable story hindo as itispoSailfleto ■ ponoeive into acountrythat purpoees is not even second to Kaiapoi IslmidvAhe Native reserve at Woodepd, or that favonred :^ ; ;|%-Baett need to ?Hhe;i iflrden ijf New. TnrhimS fioTO lthb south of the -hotel; ends Iraveyipg. towards the .'sea, AT® extent Of crop is met with.. The Arana ol Messrs Barker, Tavender, MopreJJejdc^iid

others ore all looking well. The wheat nv, were all yielding well and looked veir .but the oats, with two or three promir' -cepttomv wereveiy patchy and uneven. n-?V was especially noticeable on Mr 11. J. Seal 'I 8 farm, where his manager (Mr Charterisl ? catting a crop with a reaper and binder places the straw was over five feet hieh " equal to a 70-bushel crop, while ’n mi parts of the same field it was not a feot h'T and proportionately light. Near the Si Ut !f 1 farm there is a splendid crop of b ar y' liß which was ripening evenly. It ought 7’ yield folly 40 bushels to the acre, and ij wit i° out exception the nicest piece of barWSouth Canterbury. In this part of the d:" triot wheat ought to go 35, and oats T bushels per acre. Going along the Cent,! road, in the direction of the Milford an ,i Winchester road, one passes through til: centre of Mr John Gngg’s cattle gra £ farm, the finest of the kind m CanterhuJ without exception. The quantity 0 f Rfa ;> grown here in such a dry season and paddock, heavily stocked was quite a treat to look at Cattle were in red clover up to their knees in a 70-acre paddock, which had been stocked with over 170 head of splendid large-framed fat bullocks for several months. On t,U opposite side of the rood men harvesting hey in one of the paddocks, and the crop wo#* far more than equal to what one would reasonably expect to , e ' after so much dry weather. The process of loading was being carried out successfully and expeditiously by two of the patent ha/, loaders which were attached to ordinary f drays with frames. These are the first hay loaders -that have been used in South Canterbury, and they were doing their * ork excellently. At Winchester and down the Winchester and Milford roads there were some good wheat crops, but some of them were very patchy. There were some even aß ,j well heaaed which ought to produce on averago of 40 bushels. Oats were decidedly the predominating crops in this part of tb, country, and,thearea under that cerealwalarge. In most cases the straw was short and the crops were thin and well-headed promising good yields considering the season. A great many Of these crops were not expected to come to anything before the late rain, and some of the? farmers were making arrangements for turning sheep into them. They will now yield an average of from 33 to 40. Before reaching Miller’s farm there is a nice even field of barley which ought to give a fair yield. Down towards the Milford lagoon, ana.towards Wood’s mill, there are some good crops of wheat and oats, both of .which are grown in about equal quantifies. On the block of land known as Rhodes’ Island, a ’very fertile,spot,’ there are the finest crops in the counter. There are more oats than wheat, and the former, being very late, : is, filling out splendidly and growing very thickthough 'short in the’straw. The ,wheati is .aU, beautifully even and will yield well. The sample. grown on the farm lately .owned by,Mrß. Henly is, without exception, . the best oiit the island. The crops around Tetnuka although very few, are looking moderately well, and will yield fully up to the general average, Crossing over the river in the direction of Timaru, and getting on to Messrs Fleming arid Hedley’s splendid grazing farm —the Seadown Estate—the crops on the north Side of the homestead look splendid arid are yielding.well. South of the homestetid, however, the story is very different owing to the long drought and the fact that the crops being mostly early nearly perished before the rain fell in the early part of thi* month. The first crop noticed on the left side of the road is a field of barley fully 2U acres in extent. About 50 acres of it at the north end is moderately good, and ought to yield from 20 to 25 bushels per acre, but the remainder is patchy arid miserable and not worth the labour of cutting. There is a large area of oats on this estate which, although mostly well headed, is short in the straw, -light and patchy, and will not yield more than 20 bushels per acre. There is also a large block of wheat at the south end of the estate, comprising what looked like about from 600 to 7CO acres. Fully half of this crop has been-completely spoilt by the drought, as it ripened before the late rain, and is now quite dead and iriildewed. half of the block being later ha* dorie’ better although- it- is very patchy. -The sample is good, however, and the crop ought to ■ thresh'tint firim’4.B tq^4X> : bushels per .acre. Air-agreeable transition - now takes pKce hy passing on to the Timaru Downs, aria 'examining the crops, at anda beyond Wai-iti. The .wheat here is looking Well, but ia mostly thin and will not- go; over 25 bushels per acre. Farther.on, in the, direction of Claremont and .Mount Horrible way, the crops are looking better than they did last season. Oats are ; grown in large quantities,: and the total area ; Under crop is greater than formerly. With three or four exceptions all the oat crops are very late here this season, but although short in the straw they are well headed and w’’l yield well. Compared with the oats there is notone-thlrd the quantity of wheat grown in the Claremont district this season, but what there is of the latter is good. Bound in the direction; of the Baceora, and back by the Otipua road tofSngsdown, the crops are .lookinglsplendidf ; Both oats and wheat are now ripening fast, and cutting has been commenced. Oats all round this part of the. district) will average JEuUy 45 bushels, On Ririgsdown, Talbot Bros, have about 600 acres of the finest wheat crop in the country. Despite ttye dry season it will average quite MO.bushels if the owners are successful in getting it i all * down before the north-westers damage it. Along the main south road to tiie river Pareora.thp,continuation of Tab .hot's block of splendid, arid . there are some very of; wheat on the opposite side of the road, arid back towards the beach. There are more oats than wheat, however, and the former is fully up to the usual Kingsdown average. The extent of land under cultivation in the .Mount Cook- district .shows a large increase upon last' year. ; Judging from the rapid progress recently made in this district, and .from the large area of fine agricultural land which it includes, there can be no doubt that in another year or two it will become one of the , leading farming districts of, South Canterbury. .Therois qmarked increase in the land under .crop along -the banks of the Opawa and Little -Opawa jSvers, and on the main road from the Albury railway station to Silverstream there is for some miles an almost i unbroken stretch of cultivation. The fine appearance of the country on this line of road is such as to excite,!^. admiration of every visitor. The has increased considerably within the last twelve months, and the further disin-tegration-of large properties, now contemElated, will - no doubt add' to the number of omeateads before another harvest. There are a number of reapers and . binders in .the. district, and there, is likely to be ,l fair supply of labour through the harvest. Most Of the wheat was sown Very early, so that notwithstanding the dryness of the season there are somo really fine crops to be seen, .arid the average yield promises to quite esnu’ rip to that of last year. The grain is also we!' advanoed.and in the course of another week harvest will bo pretty general. The oats wm not give so heavy a crop of‘straw as was the case last year, but they seem in most cases to be capitally beaded,' arid the sample excellent. ■■ Several fields of short pats ore already The land under barley is rer? hunted. The English grate pastures which had, been severely affected ‘by the dry weather, have freshed up considerably the late, rains,' and the turnips, of which there 19. a large breadthsown, have derived grtet benefit from the same cause. . The description pf thatprirof this County haying been completed, it may ho stated) ■' , summing up that (here £ fufiy 20 per cent.morearea of crop in the Geraldine County this year than last, and that tho acreage under i* more than double that under whea • -The estimated averages for the whole County are—-Wheat, .24 to £6 bushels ; oats 35, e DI . barley 26 bushels per acre.

WAIMATB COUNTY. . Last . Ybas’s Statistics. —Number ° -aqres in 23,501; $ estimated gross pro..duop, ,670,984 bpshels. In oats (exclude f<j» fpod and hay), W. Sores j rgrow' produce, 620,795 bushels. ‘bariey,^ 1 ? acres, producing 14,829 bushe • .>) The is -without excep _ rW best grain-produoing one in the ia»opj*

both as Tegavds quantity and quality. According to the Government grain statistics, it did not produce so much grain last year as the Selwyn or Geraldine Counties, but it will take premier position this year on account of the large quantities of maiden land . that Jiave been placed under prop,, and the Natural advantages the County possesses of producing comparatively heavy yields in a dry season, such as the one wo bare just massed through. The railway; extension gave H wonderful impetus to the producing industry of this district, and the cutting up of portions of the Sherwood, Otaio, and Pareora the lands in the hands of men who will make the most of it, and introduce ■a, large agricultural population into the County. The low price ruling for wheat last year seems to have caused quite a mania for growing oats throughout Canterbury, but in no other place has the mania shown itself so prominently as in the Waimate County. It was estimated last year that this County produced 150,000 more bushels of wheat than oats, but this year it will produce fully four times as much oats as wheat, and seeing that the area under crop is at least one-third oreater than last year, and the average yield is quite as high, the public will at once see that as brother Jonathan would say, the Waimate County is a “big thing” moats producing this year. This County is bounded on the north by the river Pareora and on the south by the Waitaki. Commencing then at the Pareora, the first crops to be noticed are those close to the pretty,thriving little seaside township of St Andrews. The wheat and oats immediately in the rear of the township on the land recently sold in blocks by the New Zealand and Australian Land Company are looking remarkably well, and will yield a high average. One of the fields of wheat was beautifully even and well headed. Further up the flat where the land ismore stony the crops are much lighter. Crossing the river Otaio, the Bankfield estate, the property of Messrs Seeley and M'Laren, is the first to come under very prettily situated, and even considering the deep slopes on some of the downs it grows as good crops as any other part of the County. The wheat is rather patchy in some places on the easterly and southerly slopes owing to the unfavourable season, but the 450 acres sown should yield fully 35 bushels per acre. The grain is beautifully headed, ana the cample is plump and of good colour. There are over 300 acres of oats on this estate which will reach an average of 45 bushels per acre. At the mouth of Agnew’s Yalley Mr Buchanan has a large block of land under crop, which is looking well. Further up this valley, which by the way is as pretty and fertile a spot as any one need wish to see, the crops of Messrs Loudon, Agnew and Anderson, are all looking well, and not the slightest sign of drought. Oats and wheat are grown here in about equal quantities, and the former will yield quite 40 bushels per acre. As a specimen of what some of the land, here will grow, it may be stated that Mr Agnew has a paddock from which six crops were cut each year in succession, and the sixth crop (an oat one) threshed out 75 bushels to the acre. After having been three years in grass the same paddock is now carrying a 60 bushel crop of oats, and an adjoining one a 60 bushel crop of wheat. The crops of Mr Pigeon, although late, are looking well, and the same remark will apply to those on the Eskbank estate, which produced such a large quantity of magnificent wheat last year. Going back and getting on the top of the downs behind Mr Agnew’s house the recently sold sections of the Otaio estate come full in view. Most of them are ploughed up and in fallow for cropping next year. The 1,000 acre block purchased by Mr Hamersley is quite a picture to look at, and is undoubtedly the prettiest and most profitable selection in this part of the country. Turning up the road to Blue Cliffs (if it is not an insult to the County Council to call it a road, for it is the most execrable apology for one that has ever been made in New Zealand), there are nothing hut late oats to be seen on all sides. Apropos of this road: it is composed of boulders (positive rocks) many of which weigh over a hundred weight each, and the average size is from four to five inches in diameter. These boulders are piled up in the centre of what formerly was a decent road, and there is no attempt made to break them. So ranch for the engineering power of the County Council. After having to walk about three miles over the boulders above referred to, and lead the horse carefully to avoid breaking his legs, one is able to get into the buggy and proceed to Bine Cliffs. The crops here are found to be short in the straw but thick and well headed. They will not he ripe fer over a fortnight yet, but they are sure to yield well. Proceeding along the side of the hill, and going down 'the Makikihi Yalley in the direction of Mr C. Bourne’s forms, late oats are still the order of the day. There is some wheat here that is yielding well, but generally the wheat is light in this part. On Mr Lovegrove’s ferm there are nearly 2000 acres of crop extending back to the hills, bnt it is principally late oats, which are thick and wellheaded. Up near the head of the Hook Yalley there are lots of green -oats looking very promising, but very little wheat. Near the Hook bush there is a large ■ patch of barley that is looking well and ought to yield folly 30 bushels per acre, but the top part of it is so much mixed with oats that it will spoil a portion of the sample. The oats, are very good and heavy. Further down the Hook Yalley the crops of Messrs Medlicot, M'Govern, and Hardy, and others, are looking splendid. The oats here are very heavy, and the turnips are the best in the district. South of the Hook Yalley, and extending back towards the hills, Mr Studholme has ploughed over three square miles for cropping next season. In the upper part of the Deep Creek district, the crops are generally very good, although some of the oats are light and short in the straw. On the downs near Waimate oats are the principal crop grown this year, except Mr Studholme’s extensive block of wheat, running from the bottom of Deep Creek to the Main South road, and back into the mouth of the Hook Valley. . Mr Studholme has fully 3000 acres in crop, wheat and oats, hut chiefly wheat, and both crops will yield well, considering the season. At Waiho district, below Waimate, on Mr Stodholme’s and the Hon John M'Lean’s estates, and down to the Waitaki flat the crops are looking moderately well, although the long drought has considerably lessened the yield of those on light land. Through the Waimate gorge the crops on Pudding Hill estate and up the Hakateramca valley are mostly looking well, although some of them have snfferedconsiderably through not being fenced to protect them from stray cattle. There are over 4000 acres of crops in this direction. Eetuming from Watinate, a better opportunity is afforded of inspecting Mr Btudholme’s wheat. It. is really a good sample, although on some of the slopes the yield will bo light. Taken altogether the crop should yield an average of 30. A good deal of the crop on the flat near the railway lino will yield over 40 bushels. The cropa at the bottom of the Hook valley, the Makilahi valley, the Otaio, and all along on both sides of the main road are looking splendid, and do not seem to have been much affected by the drought. The estimated average for the Waimate County is—Wheat, 28 to 30 bushels; oats, 36 to 38; and barley, 80 bushels per acre.