THE HARVEST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 9650, 16 February 1892, Page 6

THE HARVEST.

Yesterday a strong nor’wester was blowing all day at Ashburton, and has dried up tbe grain again. Fine weather is now wanted to make good progress with the stacking. Our Temuka correspondent writes: — The farmers are very busy now, making sure of stacking their grain before Mr Dixon’s next storm arrives. The rain ended on Wednesday last, and has been followed by hot days with good drying winds. Sunday was a busy day on most of the farms, as the grain which was in stook before the storm was ready to stack, and moat of the farmers thought it best to make sure of getting it in while they had the chance. A large number of men who had been engaged for the threshing machines, and have been idle for the last ten days, were all busy on Sunday forking and stacking, their pay being from Is 3d to Is Gd per hour. On some of the farms the wheat has sprouted badly; on others the rain does not appear to have done much harm. Those crops which were heavy and uncut before the storm have been so beaten down that in most instances it will be impossible for the reapers to cut them, and therefore the pigs will have to he turned in to make up the loss in part. Several farmers intend to let their grain remain in stack three months before they have it threshed, as they think the quality will be bettor then than if it is put through the machine at once. Our Timaru correspondent says -During the last three days South Canterbury bas been favoured with north-west weather, and the strong breeze has done an immense amount of good, drying up the grain that is in stook, and benefiting the uncut portion of the crops. In some places, where the crops are heavy and the straw strong and coarse, the damage to the grain in stook and to some that is still uncut has keen serious. Although the warm weather has prevented further sprouting and mildewing, there will be a lot of wheat placed on the market that will have to take its place as fowl feed. So far as can be ascertained, however, the damage done to the wheat crop of South Canterbury is not so great as has been anticipated; but no accurate account can be given until after threshing seta in. That operation will he later than usual this season, as the only hope m many cases of having a fairly good sample is to allow the grain to remain in stack for some time. Waitohi Downs and other farmers state that their wheat is not nearly so bad as they expected; very little has sprouted, and the grain is fairly hard. This, in some measure, is owing to the amount ot trouble taken by them in turning the sheaves in stook. Full advantage is being taken of the fine weather, and stacking is in full swing all over tbe district.