Notes From the Country.

Marlborough Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 169, 23 January 1888, Page 2

Notes From the Country.

[llY “ AGRICOLA.”] In spite of the strong heavy wind that blew with such unwelcome force across tho plain on Thursday, I determined to take a stroll through a few of tho farms with the double object of getting tho mu-ty cobwebs removed from my brain and take some jottings on harvest work. I had not' proceeded far along the Qld Renwick Road when I unpleasantly felt that the gale would soon accomplish tho first object, but unfortunately it also drovo most of the farmers and laborers from the fields, so I had not the anticipated opportunity of speaking to them about their labors. However, as I had long promised myself this stroll i’n the country, I kept on ixiy way undaunted,' and goon arrived at the laud of Mr A. M‘Callum, on which some heavy crops have been grown this year, more especially the oats that wero cut for chaff, it being what might be called a premier crop, and is harvested in firstclass order, and is built in two long stacks quite close to the road. His son Robert is now busy getting down a crop of spring wheat, which has turned out well, thoJpi" a little late of being sown, the first seed of winter wheat having failed. Across the road from Mr A. M'Callurn’s field of cut barley is a field, of some grain belonging to Mr John‘Ross, wlio had it partly cut and whose crop of good heavy wheat is now ready for the reaper. just oyer the fence from this, Mr John YPCalluru had commenced to reap his epop of barley, which js somewhat qipty, qncj part of it lying, hut will nearly yield hi bushels. His sou, a lad of about thirteen years old, had been driving the sidedoliverer himself, but the winds compelled the cutting to be discontinued. Mr Robert Allan has some oats under thatch, and was engaged stacking wheat when it became too boisterous to fork with advantage. Me D. M’Callum is well forward with his harvest, the‘barley being all in stqqk and most of the grain on the farm cut down. Mr James Thompson has a number of stacks built., and if not all cut has but little left. Mr Sinclair did not begin quite so oarly, and is not So far on. Mr Rose has cut six op seven gepeswi. extraordinary heavy oats, calculated to yield about six tons per aero, and is now giving his strength to the remaining part of his crop. Mr Daiziel has part of his crop cut and none of it secured, but his acreage is not so large as some farmers, and will not take so long to fiuislj. providing tho weather keep good, and it. is earnestly hoped it Will. • ; Tho farmers between those already mentioned and Renwiektowu arc earlier j

and moat of them had been busy stacking but had to leave off. Beyond Ren wick some of the fields are free of stocks, the grain being safely stacked. It is extremely fortunate that the unusually stiff breeze wa* somewhat moistened by a few drops of rain and a lower temperature, otherwise the ripest grain would have been prematurely thrashed, and in a way not profitable to the farmers. Friday’s calm beautiful harvest weather was a welcome contrast to Thursday s severity, and the farmers have made due use of it as is evident from finished cut fiolds and the increased number of stacks that have been built since asking these brief notes.