THE CROPS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 8385, 21 January 1888, Page 5

THE CROPS.

ASHLEY AND DISTRICT. In the Ashley district the crops are, on the whole, looking very promising, and are rapidly ripening. In a few cold situations on the high downs the winter-sown wheat suffered considerably from the wet, and besides being patchy, has not thriven so well as could ba wished. Already several fields of oats have been harvested in good condition, and within a week, should the weather continue propitious, the reapers will be at work in all parts of the district. The area of land under grain this year is about 6000 acres, some 3400 being in wheat, and the balance in oats and barley, the latter occupying only about 40 acres. Present appearances promise an average of 23 bushels of wheat per acre, 80 of oats, and 28 ot barley. Seldom, if ever, have the crops in the Ohoka and western part of East Eyreton looked finer than they do this year. The winter-sown wheat seems to have suffered little, if anything, from the rains, and almost without exception individual averages will be good. In the localities referred to there are about 1800 acres in wheat, 600 acres in oats, ana 50 acres in barley, and the average return should bo not lees than 35 bushels of wheat, 28 of oats, and 32 of barley per acre. The following is a return of the crop prospects for the Ashley district, southern portion of the Kowai district (Sefton), Mandeville and Bangiora district, and the western half of the East Eyreton district, supplied by our Bangiora correspondent:— Acreage. Yield. Average. Ensbela. Bn hels. Wheat ... ... 12.068 83.3526 27'6 Oats 6,290 198,956 31*8 Barley 432 13,187 81-8 PLEASANT POINT. The harvest prospects in this district may be said to be very good generally, though on some good farms of flat, heavy land, the result of the year’s operations, so far as cereals are concerned, will be decidedly disappointing, Offing to the wet seed time and moist spring. On the downs farms the yield will be unusually good; in many cases promise of 40 bushels of wheaj is given. The oat crop is suffering largely from blight, and there is very little barley grown. There is a much larger area than usual nnder wheat this season, probably 80 per cent above the last few years. Assuming favourable conditions of weather, Ac., there ought to be an average for this district of 30 to S2 bushels of wheat and about 34 of oats. The nice rain about three weeks ago just started the turnip seeds, and the farmers are greatly drcJWing the continuation of present dry weather as ceiu.iu 'to, dry up the tiny plantlets. Had the seed" lain without germinating, the autumn rail)? wookJijavo produced a late crop, but if scorched after germination, it means re-sowing or loss crop. Patches of mangolds are of more frequent occurrence in the neighbourhood of farmyards, and more care is taken of stock during the winter season than was usual a few years ago. In fact, " mixed farming ” obtains to a much greater extent, our farmers having found that the plough and the reaping machine alone not only exhaust the soil, but of late years frequently placed the balance on the wrong side of the ledger. WAIMATE, MAKIKIHI, AND PABEOEA. The weather daring the past week in Waimate has been all that could be desired for bringing on the crops. Two or three mild showers fell on successive mornings, which went far to help the grain crops. On Thursday night heavy thunder showers fell, but no damage was done, and next morning the sky was beautifully clear. The crops are advancing rapidly towards ripeness. Leaving Waimate, and going in a northerly direction, good crops are seen in the immediate neighbourhood of Waimate town. Messrs James Brown, M‘Leod, and M. O’Brien have average crops, the latter having some very good indeed. Messrs Cochrane, Whitney, Tully, Yigers, G. Brown, and Bruce have healthy looking crops. Mr F. M. Bickman has some grain showing well on his leasehold. A field of Mr Herman Meyers in wheat shows evenly all over. It is straight and dense, and should thresh well. Mr William Nicholas, Wxllowgrove, one of the new settlers on the Waimate Estate, has some average-looking wheat, but the oats do not show to advantage, being very short. Mr Nicholas took up 215 acres on the Hook Kiver about nine months ago, hot his first year’s crop, owing to a variety of circumstances, is not as good as many others in the district. Mr Thomas M'Dowall, another new settler, has 37 acres in oats and 200 acres in wheat, but, unfortunately for a new settler, the return will be very small. Sorrel seems to have come up with unusual luxuriance, and has choked out a good deal of his wheat. Messrs Daly, also new settlers in the locality, are busy summer fallowing, and will have an extensive area in wheat next year. Mr Mulcock, another new settler, has very fair crops on his section, but when the land m the block. is more cultivated and sweetened, the new land-holders should get on well. Some are going in for very [substantialoutbuildings, which shows they have faith in the productiveness of the district. The crops of Messrs Gunn in the Upper Waituna, with those of Messrs Westphal, Mehrtens, and Tully, are showing well, the farms of the respective owners being evidently carefully looked after. On the Sherwood block, Mr Bunting’s crop of wheat will yield a very light return, but Mr Baxter's—opposite—will in some places yield very fairly. The back-lying parts are thin and light, and will reduce the yield of what would otherwise be a very good crop of wheat. Lower down’ the Sherwood block the wheat fields cropped by Messrs Martin, Meehan, and Andrew should thresh from 25 to 30 bushels, which, in this locality and this year, may be taken as a fair crop. Messrs Inman, Jackson, Mooney, Wright, Goostrey, and Lieutenant -Colonel Bailey have some good wheat. Mr Wright has one ridge of wheat well-coloured, which should yield 33 bushels, perhaps more, as portions were heavy. The crop was " laid” m some parts, but what was standing, was well headed. Mrs Gibson’s and Mr J. Bourne’s farms showed patches of good, clean grain, but, all over, the average would not ba high. Mr Wilson’s, Mr M'Lean’s, and Mr Lindsay’s farms, with Miles, Archer's portion of crop on the Sherwood Downs were about the average, but only Mr Wright’s wheat, near the Hunter school, was colouring. The croppers on the Otaio Station—Mr T. Teschemsker’s—are likely to make money by their crops, though there are none of extra quality. The wheat on the ridges is very even and clean, and should thresh fairly well. The Otaio district is rather further ahead than the Makikihi, Deep Creek, or Waituna, and as we make towards the Pareora an improvement in the general tone of the crops is easily seen. Messrs Clissold Bros, have several paddocks of heavy crop. Oats up will thresh between 50 and 60 bushels. Some places will go more, but the average will be high. Messrs Clissold cultivate about 1000 acres, and of this 200 acres this year are in oats —very fine crop—and the rest in turnips, which are showing remarkably well. The crops on Bankfield, the estate owned by Mr D. M'Laren on the Otaio, are very good. The estate covers 3860 acres, and 140 acres oats will yield fully 60 bushels to the acre; 460 acres wheat, velvet and Tuscan, is also likely to yield well. The Tuscan wheat is especially a heavy crop, and 40 bushels is below the estimated yield. Mr A. Copeland has a field of oats nearly ready for the reaper, but at Mr Thomas Jefcoate’a Prospect Farm, Pareora, harvesting had already commenced in a fine field of oats. On the Pareora Estate 2400 acres are in grain, and about 2000 acres in turnips. The grain is principally wheat, which, at the upper end of the estate, looks well. A good yield, perhaps 35 bushels, will be taken all over the property. The turnips are magnificent, and the same may be said of those on neighbouring estates. At Mr E. Eiwortby’s Holme Station of 85,000 acre* freehold, with large leasehold attached.

160 acres are in oats and 220 in wheat. Some of this is owned by croppers, and the wheat looks well, from 85 to 40 bushels being confidently expected. Mr Lawrie’s wheat near St Andrews look? well on the flat where the encampment was held last year, and Messrs David and Andrew Martin, of Otaio, have some excellent crops on their respective farms. Messrs Meehan and Hamilton, and Mercer, near Makikihi, have very average crops, some of which will soon come in flt for the reaper. Mr W. SugdenArinitage has some fair wheat on his Hillborough Estate. Messrs F. Simmons, Batcray, Hardie and M'Goverin, Miller, Bell, Ferguson and M'Queen, Medlicott, Carter, Well wood Bros., and many others, whose crops were noticed on the return journey, look well, but were not closely inspected. On the whole, the average in the Lower Pareora and Otaio will be higher than in Makikihi and further south, but these other districts will be noted another time.