THE CROPS : THEIR CONDITION AND EXTENT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1913, 17 February 1868, Page 4

THE CROPS : THEIR CONDITION AND EXTENT.

The continued wet weather, prior t«* the late storm, had created considerable; anxiety concerning the" condition of tin* crops and the prospects of the coming harvest. With fcho view of submitting' aa correct information on the ttubjcjct a? could be obtained readily, we: have been at semo expense and trouble in procuring returns from the various distriete'; and wo. now annex an abstract of these for the benefit of our readers. We I arc assured that the particulars supplied j may be relied on ; and we take this opportunity of thanking our correspondents for the prompt and intelligent attention they have given to this matter. a hues iHWj»a Only 6 acres of wheat in cultivation ; fair average crop j oaw, 85G acres ; yield,, considerably; below last year's average;, crop generally light, and in some'instanccifr a failure. Expected result, 34 bushelßju*. acre, or, in all, 2&,8C>0 bushels. Potatoes* 25 acres, almost; a total failure. ;I*«tstur- ; age, in superior condition, excepting one ien-aerq field, which i» reported, aa destroyed by Capo-weed*. "Turnip's, a partial failure, but the aphis haa disappeared. Altogether, in this'season/ there will be a, deficiency. • f : . TAIBIU I'LAltf, SADDWS jiJU^L/.&C. There haa been a decrease in the> breadth of wheat sovyn, the attention of thoseitiers,having hcan turned to laying down their land in permanent pasture. The'wheat which has bceiV sown is statcdl to-bo'light> and inferior in quality; and it is to be feared that; the recent flood* will have still further, depreciated it* quality. Oata form the principal crop sown ; and they" promise a fair return. The latest accounts represenfc.the crop as roach twisted and laid in some instances, and in others, as by. smut. Thy? extent of oats is generally;-"|jiqreasodl ln~ Saddlo Hill District, therear'e 600 acres; in Maungatiia, MOO acres'; in Otaki%4od acres ; in Wailiola, 560 acres ;.- Lake Waipori, 580 acres. In the otherparts of the Taieri basin the acreage cannot be definitely given. The chief complaint is, damage from wet weather. Bust, or blight does not appear to be prevalent* ~, Potatoes have proved a'hnodl an entire*' failure- Mr Donald Reid, and one oir two others, have planted abowt five acre*, of blue gams. In the hilly district of Otakia, where the land is not so much, affected by the wet, thore Ist. the same untaatiufactory result as to iJaepotaWcrop. Tlie oaU tliere are looking well^ and. also At Waihola, the latter district; be,ing aaid not to hiive had too moen rain/ About Lako Waipori, the crops wetfe uadw froniL 2ft to 4ft of water for nearly- (*'o Jday»» and arcs much deteribmted. (C-------TOKOMAIKIRO PLAIN, J AKATO3M!, WAITA> JHLUNA, AX» TUAPBJ^A. The extent of land in vhoat is trifling, *nd \i exbibitgj on the whole, a decrease *% 'compared with the previous year. The* o/.te are looking fair.; and, excepting on. *«>b.e Plain, there is a general increase. la Akatore, there, are 400 acres of oats; in Tuapeica, 600; in W«it*huna, 130; m Tokomairiro, the fareadth town i* lew than last year, by one-third.' Th» low price* ruling but year for potatoes, diminished the extent'plabted ; and the crop is far from promisiog. In man/ instance.. . it : will tot pay fox lifting. A good deal of laod,'£» beea newly brought under the pfoafh tim icason;—ln Tokoinairiro, 400 acn»fc

Tuapcfea, 4€o acres ; Waitahuna^fSO acre; —all for the .purpose of being laid dowj in gru»». On tho v/hole, the effects of tin flood havo not been dkasirotw in this dfo -trict. In Inch Cltjtha there is much the aarm area in wheat as last year—3o6 acr«» most of it is late, and the yield «»<: quality promise to be but middling. Th< oats (>i')H ncian) are excellent. Potatow (43 acres) arc looking well. The dittnag< done by the recent flood needs Hcareel) £o be mentioned. A littly. rust lt;is ap pcared on tho : wheat. On the uiaiuiano at Baldutha, tho. wheat (700 acres) w a poor crop—not nearly, ho goud as ir: former yean*. The oats (2085 acres) arc ' liealfliy, and promise a return of 4C bushels to the acre, limit lias mady it;; > appearance ; font not. to any great extent; 'Jthe potatoes ary indifferent and uituutiefactory, but will still yield about eight . toriH to the acre-(2!JO acres).' At Puorua, there will be a great; decrease in wheat-; but the oat» will bo abundant. Ku.-st h;ia shown both in wheat and oats, but not to any extent The potatoes are a failura from fche^wet, not promising above \\ -t->n to tho acre. No serious damage has resulted from tho late floods. At Wnrojia, the wheat (50 seres) which exhibits a decrease, is late and under average, although free from rust. Outa (:iOO acres) are also late, but of fair averAgo. The crops generally have Buffered from .wet weather, more especially self-sown crops. The low prices ruling for grain, induced settlors to sow only what was necessary for their own requirements. 'Karly potatoes were destroyed by wet, and the-later ..sorts -will not give "beyond nv>; ions per aw. (HO acres.) Popotunoa is the only district where wheat blicwh an increase. It. is said to ht good, but late. The oats (080 acres') arc generally good, and an average crop. .Potatoes (~H acres) arc a ff.ir crop, but the yield is light- say five ioun per acre.- Kaibiku has a tleere;ise in wheat, and (.he crop (110 acre*i) its bolrnv the avera-'c-. Oats ('Mi() acmi) arc an avernge crop ; but th<ry art; a yood deal affected by blight. Potatoes projniae a very inferior return, not being estimated ;ibovo three tons per acre. South of Duuedhi, a considerable e.\> tenf; of laud has been newly broken up ihh Hcsayon. .in Waropa, 1000 acmu ; lialclutha, several hundred acr.;:s ; Kaikiku, 1000 ucreii ; Poiiotnnort, 70') acrr'K ; West Taieri, -100 acroti ; Waipori, 250 acres; Tokomaifiro,'4oo acres. The wet Acafion lias been favorable for bringing in new land. '■' As to tho country northward of Duncdiu, wo Jmve the ■ following infonuation :— lii.VKSi.'IX DISTRICT. Thi.s district hliowjj a small i;xtcrfi in wheat {AT} acres), tho croj.H liyht. but healthy. Oats, .'J.'VH uojvh, late, but heavy and .'itiporior to former y;ir.s. 'Plus increase ia alvivcj I'JO acrc-s. Pot.doe:* arc a failure. They arc greatly da in ;t;.',ed by wet and wire-worm. About IHO acivs of land have been broken up thin jui.-ujon. The crops on the alluvial land on the Wai tali, havo suiiV.rud from tho Hoods ; Imfc nearly nil tho cultivated land in ■on iha ridges, and has suHtuined no ■damage. HAWKMJURY. The whoa' (2"8 acres) is very good, but late. Oa(s (iSS)2 acres), also good, but late.: Potato-h (102 acres) bad, owing to ■continued w«fc weather. Tim probable yield is three tons .per acre. T\o lust or blight has appeared in the grain crops; but the rook crops are muds over-run ■with wetdu, the wot state of tho ground preventing tho use of the drill-harrow. The acreage of wheat ha» decreased, and that of oats has increased. Above 1000 acres have been newly broken up; the greater part of which will ho boivh down ■without cropping. One aettU-r has.ot>u-, ■tracted for 5000 gum trees being planted on his property. I'Af.MKKSTOX l>l.sTl;lt"r. The wheat (OTOacves) is reported as, bad ; the oats (2405 acres) as pretty ■good ; and potatoes (83 acres), us bad. "This unfavorable report was undo juat before the recent storm, so that it is -doubtful if the district will havo enough ■crop for it 3 own suVsistencf. About 2UOO acres have been brought under cultivation. MOEItAKI. OIBTKWT. The reports from this district present the same features as the greater part of the others, namely—Wheat, deficient; oats, good crop ; potatoes, almost a total failure. OTM'OI'O. ■ : The wheat; (500 acres) promises well ; rand, with favourable weather, tho retuVn -would be good. Tho extent is much the -same as last year. Oats, whiqh aro vory good and heavy (1200 acres), show a large increase on tho previous year. Thoro is a partial appearance of blight, as well as smut, on tho oats. The potatoes •'-'(100 acres) promise to be a fair crop. With sunshine during harvest, there would; bo no damage from past wot weather. The damage from recent floods ia limited to tho land of two or three persons on the flat bordering on tho Kakanui. , • ■ oama.hu district: Tho state of the roads prevented our correspondent from ascertaining quantities ■or extent ; Imt he reports, generally,'that the wheat which, previous to the last rain, •was very good, is How in a ' ml state, a great quantity about the Waiarcka, > eing laid flat, and a destructive wire, worm has made its appearance, and devoured fully •ono twentieth of the stalks. Oats are very good, and potatoes are also a good crop, hut few havo been planted. Tho small worm referred to as affecting the wheat, is found in the stalk, and when the plant h aii'ectcd, the stalk turns quite white. AVout 2000 acres havo been broken up for now land, to I c cropped with wheat next year. Three fine houses havo • een built, -helonginir repeotively to Mr Holmes, Mr H. J. Miller, and Mr J. M'Lean, and a second house ia to bo erected by Air Hunter. • y In all tho districts, the limited extent ■ of land under !>arloy ia very remarkable ; only a few acres in each, district ooiug. under tht;t crop.

A party of Pit tabu rg speculators representing a capital of 3,UUO,UO!Jdoh nre buying up crud« petroleum for delivery at any time during; 18^8, at their option.— Scknlijic American. ■■■■.-.