RURAL TOPICS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXXIII, Issue 15922, 7 May 1912, Page 8

RURAL TOPICS.

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL. A farmer of Hampstead (Ashburton) recently threshed a fairl3 r large crop of peas, which yielded 65 bushels per acre.

Exceptionally heavy rain fell at Governor's Bay last month. In the five days from April 19 to 23 the rainfall was slightly in excess of 12in, which is a record for the district. Feed is plentiful, but the work of ploughing and sowing has been delayed considerably.

The continued broken weather is hindering farming operations in the B'.nsandeT district, and farmers are very anxious to got on with their ploughing for winter sowing. Potato digging is quite at a standstill, the- ground being too wet for the harvesting of this crop. Even if continuous fine weather prevailed, labour of every description is very scarce. Several farmers are in want of ploughmen, while there are quite a number of casual and day men wanted to copo with the labour this autumn. It is estimated that about the usual area will be sown in crop, but the wet state of the land may cause some of the farmers to change their minds.