ON THE LAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17859, 3 August 1918, Page 5

ON THE LAND.

RURAL TALKS. (By RTJSTICUS.) AUGUST. It may be hoped that itho month of August will see the end of the bad weather. July was one of the worst months that we have experienced for some yeai'3, and it will he months before the effects of it will disappear. There have already been considerable losses in stock over most of the South Island, and when the spring sets in it is anticipated that animals that have been snowbound for a considerable time will suffer more or less severely. Tho lambing in the hill flocks is sure to be affected, and the wool at shearing will show a break in cases where tho sheep have suffered a period of starvation and privation. Tho snow is slowly moving from the dark facings, but there are drifts that still conceal some of the unfortunate animals that wero caught in them. In some seasons when snow falls on the hills the winds clear iihe fall away from tho sunny faces, but this season the opposite took place in many districts. The blizsards blew the snow from the front to tho back facings, and the sheep were driven in front of the driving e*iow on to the worst country and there they were imprisoned. Some of the sheep have been got at after a period of confinement in the drifts, but many of thorn arc as good- as dead. Hoggets, of course, suffered the most, and heavy losses lire anticipated among them. The position has been made much worse than it would have otherwise been by •these drifts, and the blizzards that caused them are added to the suffering of the sheep. Luckily these high cold winds, with their accompanying drifts, aro not the usual thing: in a. time of snow, though they have been 'experienced before.

The days are lengthening out appreciably, and when tho sun shines out there is a touch of spring in the air. It should not be long before thero is a growth in the grass and tho crops; in fact, already on the lower country •there is a. little movement in the vegetation. During the last fortnight the weather has been very patchy. While some districts are practically under water, others have dried up nicely, and tho snow has gone away better than was expected. 'learns may be seen busily at work on the plains and tlie downs, and the land is in nice order for working. Fine weather is i wanted in order that there may be no more hindrance, for there is a lot of leeway to make up in most districts. As a rule., August is a. very changeable month. 'Sometimes it treats lis to a spell of real spring; then a change will come, and wo seem to get right back into tho winter snow and frosts again. July was such a rough month that we may surely expect a good month during August and a fairly early spring, though there is sufficient snow about the high country >to cause the nights to bo very cold and frosty for some time. This is usually regarded as the first month of spring, but in the South island we do not look for perfoci spring conditions till we approach the month of September. THE MONTH'S WORK. • This .should be a busy month for the putting in of spring crops. The earlier the sowing is done the better; indeed, if grain is drilled in under good conditions during the early portion of (this month, the' crops should stand nearlv as good a chance as those put in during the winter months. Caro must bo taken in tho matter, however. Thero is no use being over anxious. If the land is too wot and slushy for the work, the results cannot be satisfactory, and the teams had . be'tt-.u' •remain idle than attempt to work the land in that state. The land, will become smeared and the seed will not be properly covered. -Moreover, the surface of the/ soil wilt become baked when the warmer weather comes, with the result that plant life will not thrive. The Tuscan wheats aro usually sown this month and the succeeding one. and the seeding should bo thicker than during tho autumn _ or winter. Spring crops run up with a straight, blade. They do not tiller to anv.great extent, and ft is therefore necessary to seed fairly thickly in order to make im for this. Not less than two bushels an acre should he sown, either in wheat or eats. Both wheat and oats should he dressed with a -smut preventive, cither bluestone or formalin. , . ~ , ■V request has been made that as much wheat as possible should be put in this spring, and no doubt farmers will respond to the best of their ability. It is only a waste of time and labour, however," if the cro» \r, mil in on soil that is not suitable or mPUfficiently prepared. There are some districts where it has been proved over and over again that spring wheat is practically a_tailore, and in the face of that experience it is not advisable to go on trying to m-ow the crop on anything like a big scale A few acres here and there, en land that appears to be in specially good order may bo tried but generally speaking the land would be better employed growing oats or sheep feed. Indeed, the whole question of spring wheat is a good -deal complicated tins season by the uncertainty surrounding th" mutton and lamb production m the convince months. The works are now practically full of frozen meat and tie prospect of the stores bfcmg cleared bj the time the rush sets in next autumn "re not at, all bright On the contrary, they are distinctly unfavourable, and "farmers and others are concerned about the future of stock. At a meeting held in Timaru last Saturday a committee was set up to make inquiries as to the prospects tor the fiuure, and also to go into the matter ol providing storage for fee fat stock that will commence to come in about, ttie new year. Mr Btiidholma deserves the thanks of the fanning community tor taking action in a matter that has caused farmers some concern tor- 110 past few months. .His scheme may be somewhat nebulous and too local, but he has succeeded in rousing producers to a realisation of the position, and it is probable that something will be done both in the way of ascertaining the position in regard to storage and the supply of .ships and the providing 01 some relief, should it, be impossible to clear the works sufficiently to hold the new season's produce. Tim matter is so uncertain that fanners may be excused for putting in iapc and turnips in larger areas than usual, and ll this is done it is sure to react on the area that usually goes into spring crop. It mav not be possible to do both. No doubt a good many oats will go in as that cereal is scarce, and a plentiful supply of oats and (•haft is desirable, whatever happens. . Indeed, in some cases the wheat area has been curtailed by the fact that horse feed is too dear. If oats are to be depended upon they should he put in as early as possible. They feel the effects of drought very much, and they should have an opportunity to become deeply rooted before the dry, hot weather sets in. Oats thrive on colder soil that wheat and like a damp season. Indeed, in a wet year they will grow almost any- / where. Even if they should not come out well as a crop, they will pay for grazing, especially if sheep and lambs have to be held. In tho face of circumstances it would appear wise for farmers to hedge a bit in their operations. A good area of artificial feed for stock should bo grown, and anyone stocking up in, tho spring will do well to pay some attention to hoggets instead of going in for nothing else but ewes.

The shortage in the freezing' space will hit Canterbury and North Otago more than any other portion or the Dominion. Down here we go in almost wholly for lamb, and that'is not taken in any quantity tor the troops. Wether -tuiton and Jjeef have the preference.

In the North Island and in Southland these are grown to ■ a considerable extent and the lamb trade is only a secondary consideration. It is_ to be hoped that strong representation will be made in favour of lamb or else Canterbury and North Otago farmers will be bacily hit if the shipping /Joes not improve in the next few months. It is difficult to see how our stores can. be cleared, as it would take a big fleet to shift what is now in store. Strong representations «bould be made to the two leaders who aro now in the Old Country with a view to ascertaining what the prospects are so that wo may be prepared for tho worst should that be our lot. STOCK. Although there is a feeling of spring in tho air, and although tho days are lengthening appreciably, it is not likely that there will be "much growth in the grass this month. With so much snow about we aro suro to experience some hard frosts, and in any ease there is not much growth this month as a general rule. The turnips Mill come in useful for the ewes and they should ho made to last well up to tho lambing if at all possible. A few hours a day on the roots will suffice, provided that tho sheep get a good run off at night. The ewes will benefit by the exercise they will get and the roots will be used to the best advantage. The ewes must not be allowed to go down in condition, however, or tlio lambing will suffer. Moreover, the wool receives a severe check if the ewes' are not properly fed and looked after. Hoggets will be losing their teeth and should receive attention in the matter of feed. The early oats will soon be ready for feeding and it should not be lone till some of the wheat is fit for feeding down. The green feed that will be available in this way is eminently suited to the hoggets, and if tho ground is'dry tho feeding down will do the crops good. Much of tho trouble last year in the matter of too much straw was caused by tho fact that in the spring the land Was too wet to allow the crops to be fed down. Cattle must be given good feed, roots if they are available. If the beasts go down. in condition they take a. long while to make up again in the spring and summer, and much of the feed that is used by them in making up for lost ground should go towards fattening. Straw and roots are a good combination at the present time, and then when the spring feed comes the animals will bo ready to go on and fatten. Cows that are coming in next month should receive special treatment and there is nothing better for them than mangels and hay. In fact mangels are good for all classes of stock at the present time. Old ewes will do well on them if they are sliced. A few lambs are appearing on the earlier farms and they are doimr well. Thero is plenty of rough ford about, and on the warm situations there- is a slight spring in the grass. It frequently happens that the early lambs cninc off well in the matter of weather, while, later on wo get cold winds and heavy showers. Still the matter of feed has to be taken into consideration and there is no use having the lambs arrive till there is plenty for the «wcs to cat. Early lambs will do well if there is some green feed for the ewes to go to a*, soon as the lambing is over. Drv sheltered pnddecks should be provided for the ewes that are to lamb early, as the frosts are severe enough on tho youngsters without their being subjected to cold winds and damp camping places as well. TURNIP SEED. 1.G.G.. Ruapuiia, writes: "1 should be glad of any information you can give me regarding harvesting turnip seed. I have iifteen acres of I.G.G. sown down with Sib of cocksfoot per acre in V.ho mixture. Would feeding off the tops now with old ew«s harm tho crop? Please state about when the crop would be ripe, and if it could be reaped with a Massey binder and stooked in the ordinary way." I would not recommend the feeding down of the crop with ewes unless the coeksiont promised to bo itroublesomo. It may come up with the stalks of the turnips, but even if it does it is not likely to cause much bother or to injure the crop of turnip seed. The earlier the seed stall's grow out the better, so that it is not advisable to hinder them and so weaken the root to some extent by eating down the shaws that are now there. If 'the spring is a fairly early one and the roots run to seed quickly, the crop may bo fit for reaping about Christmas or tho New Year. It, is possible! to harvest your crop and to sow the seed in the same season. To do this it may be necessary to put off the drilling of tho turnips for next season till a week or so after tho New Year. The. stuff cannot be reaped, with a binder. It should bo cut with a sickle and then tied up into sheaves .or bundles and stooked up till it is dry enough to thresh. Tho hand work may seem to be. a big undertaking, but it. is not really so, and a few acres can soon be got over. It is a job that senior schoolboys could tackle very well, even to the tying, stooking and threshing. Tho threshing may be done on the spot wi'th a flail, a. cloth for tarpaulin being spread on the ground * for the purpose. The seed should be roughly riddled and bagged up, and then put through a seed-clean-ing machine. The now seed will le foun : :■! germhiate freely, and to give a good crop. To go in for growing the best seed, tho bulbs should be picked and transplanted, hut no doubt a large quantity of seed will be grown in tho paddocks direct from the Turnip crop. Tho Government Biologist states it hat seed max be grown from mixed crop-3, although there is a danger of cross-fer-tilisation, but on no 'account should seed be grown from the mixed seed so produced, and the mixed seed should be sold as such, that is. with the information that it has been produced from a mixed crop.