RURAL TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15900, 11 April 1912, Page 2

RURAL TOPICS.

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL. At the Addington Yards yesterday Air Isaac Andrew, of Springstcn, topped the market in f.at lambs with an excellent pen of the Ryeland breed, which realised up to 19s lid. Ashburton received very little of the thunderstorm on Tuesday afternoon last, but about five o’clock heavy rain set in for about an hour, the total fall being 37 points. Owing to a. shortage of grain sacks several threshing mills in Ashburton County have-pulled in and others will have to cease work from the 6amo cause this week. A very heavy 'thunderstorm broke over Greendale on Tuesday afternoon shortly before three o’clock. For about twenty minutes the rain fell in torrents. Later in the afternoon the rain began to fall steadily and continued for a few hours, m all 1.57 in was registered. The rain will do a lot of good, as grass land was too dry to plough. Given fine weather the Oxford Show, which is to bo held to-morrow, should be the best since the Association was formed. The special train, starting from Christchurch at a convenient hour and stopping at the show grounds to set down or pick up passengers, should add to the popularity of the show. The grounds aro in good order. There is a slight decrease of entries in two or three sections, but the increases in the others more than compensate. Last year the total number cf entries was 1260, and this year the total is 1400. After a spell of fine, bright weather a rather sudden change was experienced at Tai Tapu on Tuesday at midclav. A prolonged thunderstorm was followed by a steady downpour of rain, which put a stop for the time to all harvest work. For the past week nr two, .however, goad progress lias been marie, though the threshing is considerably later than last year. As evidence of the season’s growth a paddock of Tuscan wheat, belonging to Messrs Herrick Bros, yielded 90 bushels to the acre. Last year this same paddock gave 85 bushels of peas per acre. Mr Franks lias just threshed upwards' of 60 bushels of Tmnerial Blue peas per acre, and similar yields have horn reported. from other parts of the district. On the whole crops are well up to expectations.