HARVEST PROSPECTS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19697, 26 January 1926, Page 4

HARVEST PROSPECTS.

POSITION IN WAIMATE. RECORD YIELDS EXPECTED. (Vttou Oub Own Correspondest.) WAIMATE, January 24. The harvest which is now approaching in the Waimate County is expected to be One of the best for many years past. After an exceptionally wet winter and autumn, ■which delayed sowing till the very last, a ■wonderful spring has allowed the crops to come away in such an extraordinary fashion that no trace remains of the bad times of a few months ago. Scarcely a poor crop is to be seen in the whole county; wheat, oats, and potatoes all looking splendid. Experienced farmers are of the opinion that the average yield of wheat per acre will be not far tb_prt of 45 bushels, and there are many crops about which will, on present indications, thresh 70 bushels and 80. and even more. Take-ftll has made its appearance in a few crops, but these a* a rule arc on impoverished land. The stronger crops are entirely free from pests of all sorta, and, with the fine weather being experienced, it is not expected that the caterpillar, which occasionally works havoc, will prove troublesome. A notable feature this season is the large amount of grass Beed which will be threshed. In many eases termers were unable to sow their usual amount of grain, and were left with more green feed than they had use for. The great growth of grass and clover in the spring also was a contributing factor. The remarkable recovery in the district supports the contention often made that the district Jjetwoon the Pareora and Waitaki rivers "is the finest cropping land in the Dominion. The weather continues beautifully fine, with welcome showers at intervals. The harvest will be nn exceptionally early one, and will bo in full swing in a week's time. It would be a difficult task indeed to say which was the most nromising crops of wheat in the district. Willowbridge maintained its reputation in this respect, and most of the farmers in this favoured locality expect to thresh well over 50 bushels. A tremendous erop of oats is to bo seen on Messrs Fletcher Bros, property, near Bradshaw's Crossing. If threshed this crop should yield anything up to 100 bushels to the acre. Other promising crops well above the average are to be seen on the farms of Messrs C. Faulkner and H. Vosß. Round about Studholmo the land suffered severely from the wet, but has made a wonderful "recovery and there are few, if any, farmers who navo reason for complaint ftfc their prospective harvest. The potato crops in this district are also looking well, and are quite free from blight. Hunter it not more for the evenness of its yields than for particularly big orop.s, and this year the average should be well ahead of that for many years passed. Old residents say they have never seen the crops look better nt this time of the year. The area sown is slightly smaller than that of last year. The famous Waihao Downs are noted nil over the Dominion for the particularly fine milling wheat which is grown on the limestone downs. There is said to be no better whoat grown in the world than the pearl grown there. This year the crops have exceeded all expectations, and bumper yields are expected. The wheat, is beautifully free from disease and weeds and the heads lire well filled. Yields of 50 bushels vrill bo common.