SOUTH ISLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13673, 14 February 1908, Page 8

SOUTH ISLAND.

[FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.] While the dry weather has been disastrous to feed, it has favoured harvest work, and throughout the northern half of the island the grain is being secured in the very bestcondition. In Northern Canterbury the cutting has been pretty well completed, and the farmers are either busy threshing or stacking, strenuous efforts being made to get the grain to safety, lest a break in the weather should bring a long period of rain and do it damage. Such rains as have fallen lately have done no injury to the grain, and present appearances induce a belief that in point of condition the harvest will be one of the best gathered for several years. . A fair amount of threshing has been done, and results are generally better than was anticipated. Sonio really good yields have been recorded, and few fall below expectations. In wheat Mr. W. B. Andrew, of Southbridge," obtained ail average of 70 bushels per acre from a small paddock, while in .a number of instances over 40 bushels per acre have been threshed for considerable areas, Mr. J. Winter getting_6o bushels at Svvannanoa. Oats are turning out even better as a general thing, amongst the records being 85 bushels an acre by Mr. Wright, in the Rolleston district, 80 bushels to the acre Dy Messrs. f'riedlandor Bros., at Longbeaoh, Mr. A. Dixon 72 bushels at Ashley, and 70 bushels an acre by Mr. S. Graham, of Leeston, _ while a farmer at Ruapuna obtained 63 bushels an acre from 97 acres. _, In barley, Mr. Coop, of Little River, has a record of 75 bushels per . acre for a 20-acre field, and Mr. Hampton, of Ashburton, one of 54- bushels. Taking into consideration the season, these yields must be accounted remarkable. A number of exceptionally fine yields of grass seed are reported, the most striking being one of 2500 bushels of English ryegrass from a 25 acre paddock at Southbridge, an average of 100 bushels an acre. At Kaiapoi Island a yield of 75 bushels per acre was obtained on Mr. Clothier's farm, and other good returns have gladdened the hearts of farmers. In South Canterbury and North Otago the grain crops will give a higher average than those of North Canterbury, but so far only a small amount of threshing has been done, and records are not available: However, at Maheno, in North Otago, Mr. W. P. Reid has obtained an average of 93 bushels per acre from a fair-sized field of oats, and it is said that this return has been beaten in one instance, but I have not been able to verify the report. _ Harvest operations have been commenced in Southern Otago and Southland, but it will be a week or more before harvest becomes general. Reports from Southland are not so glowing as they were a few weeks back, but some good yields are certain, and the average will bo a good deal higher than that obtained last year.. As to potatoes there will lie wide divergences of results through the island. In many parts of Canterbury they are certain to turn out very indifferently, but in other places they will be fairly good. South Canterbury generally will give returns well lint to the average, while the promise in North Otago is excellent. Further south the potatoes generally look fairly well, with here and there a really good-looking crop to counterbalance poor ones in other places. *. Though a good many samples of the new season's grain have been submitted, and a number of sales have taken place, the markets can scarcely be said to have really opened. Most of the transactions so far recorded have been in Christchurch, only odd lota having been sold at other centres. The wide range of prices fairly represents the unset-tled-state of matters. Sales have been made in Christchurch at from 4s ail the way !(> 4s 6d at country stations, a fairly large parcel having been reported to have changed hands at the top figure mentioned. This was, however, probably a special line required by the buyer, tor the general run of transactions has been from 4s 2d to 4s 4d, the basis rate being 4s 3d. It is questionable if that rate will be maintained when the markets are fairly opened, the probability being that unless, some oversea news brings word of an advance, which seems improbable, 4s will bo nearer the current rate before the month. is out. _ A good < many growers are, however, putting their wheat into stack, and announce an intention to let it remain there for a while. They have an impression that values at Home, and consequently in Australia, will improve when the unloading of America, caused by the financial stringency, comes to an,end. New oats have been sold at several centres at from 2s to 2s 2d at country stations, according to variety and sample. It is, however, believed that when Southland oats become available prices will recede, and 2s become the highest figure. There is very little doing in barley, and.only the best quality is looked at. For this tho quotations at country stations range from 5s to 5s 6d. . Cocksfoot is being bought at up to s|d for specially clean seed, weighing up to 15lb per bushel, other sorts being quoted at relative figures. There is a good demand from the North Island for ryegrass for surface sowing on areas made bare by bush fires, and the cleaning machines pre being run long hours to fill orders for shipment. Preference is given to seed from old pastures, weighing 301b to the bushel, and machine-dressed seed of thkt description realisqg from 5s to 5s 31b f.o.b. r There is not much doing in stock outside of lambs suitable for freezing, which bring from 14s 6d to 15s, with something more r or extra prime lots. The most noticeable point in connection with the stock markets is the drop in values in Dunedin, as noted above. Store sheep and cattle are not in any request, owing to the general shortage of feed.

BREVITIES.

No man ought to bo content to stay on a dead level of intelligence, nor should ho be satisfied with ordinary crops and stock. A desire to improve himself and his crops and stock will of itself lead to an improvement of his mind. With the development of intellect comes a fuller appreciation of life.

It costs no more to feed high-grade animals than scrubs. It takes no more land to pasture them or to raise the crops they eat. It is really but little more work to care for good stock than poor, for the man who sets out to have better stock sets out at the same time for better conveniences.

The Christchurch Meat Company has decided to advance the price they pay for prime bacon pigs to per lb. Since the company took over the Woodville works the price payable for bacon pigs has gradually hardened, until it has reached the above figure, which should prove very acceptable and profitable, and be some compensation to small farmers, who have been having a "bad run" of late, as a result of the very dry weather experienced.

There is a race of men called Todas,dwelling in the ; hills of Southern India, who devote the whole of their careers to the worship of the cow. Their most sacred temple is a cow-house, and the whole life of the people is governed by the most rigid observance of tho routine dairy work, every detail of which -is performed with the most elaborate ritual. _ They alone can perform the duties of milking and butter-making who have been duly consecrated for this work by fasting and the performance of mysterious rites. Representing the only priesthood, they are compelled after their initiation for the rest of thoir days to play tho role of the dairyman, ,

Mr, C. M. ■ SecrM, : manager of the Southera Pacific lines, United States, speaking" of the preparations now being made for the coming citrus season, says:—"Mr. Har-' rirm'.rt has ordered the expenditure .. of 1,000,000 dollars.on icing plants and other improvement*, and it is our intention to" build a big- ice factory in .'Northern-" California, at- Roscville, " and two for the Southern California bushier. I think in a year's time we shall bo able to give th* fniit-raiscra of this State a service of which they will not bo able to complain. Mr. Harrimau has spent 12,000,000 dollars, already in equipment, and the additional 1,000,000 dollars for icing; plants and improvements of various kinds ought to ho an earnest of what he intends to do."

A resident of the island of Guernsey, where tomato-growing is carried out on alargo scale, writes ai follows to a London journal:—"A hint I must give all who are about to sow tomato seed is to be careful of two thing.?. First see that the soil in the seed boxes is absolutely pure, and. secondly, that the seed is sown thinly and evenly. Wherever a grower lives in a neighbourhood where sterilised or steamed soil can be obtained, let him sow all his toed in such soil. If ho cannot buy this soil, or cannot get it steamed, let him try burning or baking a. little soil at a time. I am positive, from the' experience in Guernsey, that the use of perfectly good ami clean soil to start with is the very greatest aid towards heathy crops.'