WAIRARAPA NOTES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 7020, 7 January 1910, Page 3

WAIRARAPA NOTES

(From Our Masterton Correspondent.) January G.

The wool clips in the Wiirarapa and Forty Mile Bush districts have turned out well, and generally speaking, there has been a. satisfactory increase in the number of bales -obtained. In a large number of instances there has been an increased quantity of wool obtained as compared with last season, from tlio same number of sheep. Taking everything into consideration, the sheep farmer should have a satisfactory balancesheet at the end of the season. The price of lambs, however, is not at present so food as litis been the case in recent years, and several farmers m tho district intend putting older sheep on rape and turnip crops and reserving the lambs.

As is the case in the Wairarapa, blight i-s finding its way into some of the pa; tato crops in tho Forty Milo Bush district, but no ferious damage is yet reported.

A mimter of oat crops in tho Tarataln district have been badly damaged by caterpillars and rust. Several farmers havo had their crops totally destroyed. An average of eighty-one boxes of butter are being manufactured at the Ivonini Butter Factory.

The oat and wheat crops on tho Opaki are turning out very, well, and certainly better than was anticipated a few weeks n-'o The largest area under -crop is at Willow Park, where ITO acres aro down in oats, and. fifty acres 'in wheat. Mr Wrigktson has eighty acres in wheat, while there aro a number of farmers who have fiftv acres in oats and a similar area in wheat. It is estimated that wheat (the crops of which are particularly good in some instances) will averago'fifty bushels, and oats about fiftyfive, though it is somewhat early to form a definite opinion on the subject. There were some signs of rust in the crops in the Te Ore Oro district two or throe weeks ago, but this has fortunately disappeared, and the crops are now free. The oats are looking well, while wheat gives promise of yielding a good return Messrs Percy Brothers are the largest croppers, having 400 acres down in wheat and oats, 250 acres being in the latter crop. Mr J. Morris has a nice paddock of forty acres of wheat, winch should give a good return to the acre. The caterpillar has been causing some considerable damage to oat crops in -various parts of the Masterton district. Rust and blight have also accounted for their fair share of injury to crops. Mr W." Perry, of Penrose, states that out of 150 acres of oats quite 40 acres have teen rendered useless through these pests. Algerian oats appear to be resisting the ravages of the rust well, and next season the demand for this kind of oat will probably be keen. . There is practically no movement in the stock market' in Masterton, prices being low. Lambs in particular aire selling poorly, and there does not appear to be much hope in tho immediate future of better prices.

On Saturday the - Greytown Cheese Company will forward 260 cases of cheese to London by, the' Tongariro.