MARLBOROUGH HARVEST.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 11, 13 January 1912, Page 8

MARLBOROUGH HARVEST.

GOOD RETURNS IN THE AWA-

TEEK DISTRICT

As> on tli© Wairau Plain, the juirvastiiii; outlook in the Awatere disricfc is a iavorabl.o one, and the aggregate roturn will be considerably i>etter tkan tiiat of last year. Similarly, too, tiie oa-t crop is the .bulkiest. Right throughout Marlborough thi* yeuv barley-growing has lessened in popularity, and it is expected that ib© outnub of this cereal will be substantially short of previous records. The experiences of last year's market are said to be- largely accountable for .this diminution.' The.growers stood out for a high, price, but the buyers oo.untured with importations from jCaliforiua, and, as one grower put it, tiie producers experienced a "twist" which greatly influenced their growing operations. The area usually devoted to oate has been supplemented by many fields on which barley, was raisad previoiisiy. . In'the Awatere district there has been v bountiful-, growth, .-of pate^ the istraiv for the most part being hard and well-colored and solidly headed; wsiile the crops are notably free from weeds. By the way hardly anything :but Algerians, arc growing in this locality. The broken weather of December has caused some discoloration among •the barley; but the yieid will still be a very f.-tir one. . Very litle wheat lias been grown in the Awatere.

A! lot of new'ground-.has-been bror .ken: up for rape and turnips, and the plenteous rain has brought on an abundant growth. As the pastures also have grown, richly, the position so far as stock is conoerned is an exifcraordinariV thriving- one. Unlesss hot .hor'-wesj&ers s^t in for: a protraeted:'period; eiieep and cattle will be on an excellent footing for the autumn and wioite-r seasons. Tlie- drafts, of fat lambs feeiag sent forward .'from -ilie ■ Awatere are pleasing evidenee> 01 the favpr'a&iQi fattening conditions. One fortuuat© feature of -aie^B&ason is ' ths fewt).ess." of the caterpillars, ■which. seora to.,'have taken an almost ■complete rent, ■:.this year, although wot weather, -in supposed to favor the l>osi' ''•'■■'■■ •'