THE CANTERBURY HARVEST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13486, 13 May 1907, Page 6

THE CANTERBURY HARVEST.

REASSURING PROSPECTS.

[by TELEGRAPH.OWN correspondent.]

I ■ Christchurch, Saturday. ; Is a detailed article on the harvest in Cani terbury, supplied to the Press, the writer I says:"Our harvest this year was not ! nearly so poor as was at first anticipated, 1 the crops in many cases threshing out much better than appearances indicated, although thin in some instances and in others short. The wheat headed and filled well, and the result is that we have nearly an average return. ■ The threshing returns indicate a general average for Canterbury of between 25 and 30 busnels of wheat per acre, perhaps nearer the latter figure. This being so, Canterbury's harvest will give us somewhere about 4,500,000 bushels of wheat. This, with the 1,225,300 bushels of last year's wheat on hand' at March 1, gives us just about sufficient wheat for local consumption and' seed purposes to keep us going till March 1, 1908, and leaving the wheat of the, rest of the colony to come and go upon, th*areturn from about 45,000 acres, which will produce, say, a million bushels of wheat. It will thus be seen that there is more than enough wheat to keep us going, provided we do not get a very late harvest next year. The position is just sufficiently problematical to make the situation close and - interesting, and no doubt farmers holding wheat are in a strong position up to a certain point. One thing to be considered is that the quantity of seconds this year is comparatively small, and it may that this will complicate matters. " Oats all along have been looked' upon as a sure thing for a high market. From the threshing reports it is certain that the Government estimate of March last will be exceeded by 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 bushels, ! but as we have in other years used anything from 14.000,000 to 20,000,000 for our . home requirements the oat position is sound j enough, though not quite so string as previous reports tended to show. I " The barley crop, too, has turned out better than was anticipated, and should give ! about 200,000 bushels more than was esti- j mated." '