WHEAT GROWING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26043, 5 January 1946, Page 2

WHEAT GROWING

INSTITUTE’S REVIEW OTAGO CROPS AND YIELDS The New Zealand Wheat Research Institute has departed from its usual custom of turning out a highly technical bulletin covering its year’s operation and has this year published a Wheat Review in which production in terms of acreage, average yields, and problems of cultivation and disease have been simply and clearly covered. The Review, which can be obtained free on application to the Wheat Research Institute, Christchurch, deals with wheat growing throughout all the principal arable farming districts of the Dominion, and, besides comparing re-" turns in various districts, discusses in a very useful and instructive fashion the factors that make for the extraordinary differences of yield in certain parts of the country. Another influence in yield which is carefully and minutely considered concerns the allimportant question of wheat varieties. Comments and explanations in this regard are of the kind that will interest arable farmers only and croppers I should secure for themselves copies of j this informative 24-page review. | Some interesting statistics with regard to Central Otago, South Otago and Southland are contained in the review and are reproduced as follows: —“The total wheat area is about 20 per cent, smaller than in the previous year. Cross 7 has still further displaced Tuscan. The yields were good, but, considering the high Dominion yield, not outstanding. Tuapeka, however, returned an average of 54 bushels from 727 acres. Over the whole of the Central and South Otago and Southland area the good yield, stiff straw, tight chaff, and early maturity of Cross 7 make this variety eminently suitable. There is no apparent reason for retaining the varieties still sporadically sown.

SHOW SEASON The following is a list of agricultural and pastoral shows arranged so far for the 1945-46 season:— January 12. —Blueskin at Waitati. January 19.—Waikouaiti at Waikouaiti. January 26.—Waihemo at Palmerston. March 9.—Mt. Benger. Roxburgh March 16.—Upper Clutha at Wanaka. March 16.—Maniototo at Ranfurly. March 13.—Lake County at Arrowtowa.

Yields per acre in Central and South Otago and Southland. County Cross 7 Tuscan Maniototo .. .. 28.68 32.06* Waihemo .. .. 31.21 23.57* Waikouaiti .. 30.48* — Taieri .. .. 39.66 — Tuapeka .. .. 53.99 — Bruce . . .. 47.38 — Clutha .. .. .. 49.51 — Vincent .. .. 25.07 29.54* Lake' . . . . 43.54 — Wallace .. .. 40.31 — Southland . . .. 45.54 — * Small area (under 15 crops) Area (in acres), harvest 1945. County Cross 7 Tuscan 1945 Maniototo 697 53 750 Waihemo 431 54 503 Waikouaiti .. 73 — 73 Taieri 1423 — 1423 Tuapeka 727 — 727 Bruce .. .. 1146 — 1146 Clutha .. .. 805 — 805 Vincent 981 264 1245 Lake .. .. 420 — 420 Wallace 318 — 318 Southland .. 1337 — 1337 Total, 1945, 8747 acres.