THE CROPS: THEIR CONDITION AND EXTENT.

Otago Witness, Issue 847, 22 February 1868, Page 4

THE CROPS: THEIR CONDITION AND EXTENT.

' The:, continued w<St weather, prior to the late storm, Had considerable anxietjr. concerning ( ta.e % '. condition of the crops "arid ' the prospects of the coming harvest., Wjith the view of submitting as correct .information on the subject, as could be obtained readily, we have been, at seme expense and trouble in procuring returns from) the various districts' ; and we now annex an abstract of these for the benefit of our readers. We are. assured .that the particulars supplied 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.' • •.[ ' . GREEN ISLAND. Only. 6 acres of wheat in cultivation ; fair average crop ; oats, 856 acres ; yield, considerably below- last year's average ; crop generally light, and in some instances a failure. Expected result, 34 bushels an acre, ■ or, in all, 28,860 bushels. Potatoes, 25 acres, almost a total 'failure. Pasturage, in superior condition,, excepting one tenracre field, which-is reported as (destroyed'by Cape- weed. • Turnips, a partial failure, but tho aphis has disappeared. Altogether, in this season there 'will be a deficiency. • . %.'..,! .■• • TAEERI 3PLAIN^' SADDLE HILL, &C. „Th'ere,.has, Th'ere, .has been, a decrease in the breadth of wheat Bowny the attention of the settlers having been turned to- laying down .their land in permanent pasture. The wheat which has been sown- is'stated to.be.light, and inferior in quality; and it is to be. feared that the recent floods will -have still further depreciated its quality. Oats. form, the principal crop sown ; and- they promise a fair return. The latest accounts represent the crop as much- twisted and laid in some instances, and in others, as affected by smut. The .extent of oats is generally increased. In Saddle HiH District, there are 600 acres ; in Maungatua, 1100 acres ; in Otakia, 400 acres ; , in . Waihola, 550 acres ; Lake Waipori, • 580 acres. „ In the other parts 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 . . almost an ■ entire failure. Mr Donald Reid, and one or two others, have planted about five acres of .blue , gums. . In? the; hilly . district of Otakia> where the land is -not so much affected by the wet, there is the same, unsatisfactory, result r as ■ to rthe potato crop. £he , oats there are looking.well, and also at Waihola, the latter ;district being said not to have had too- much rain. (About Lake .Waipori, the crops were .under from 2ft" ,to,-.4ft of water for nearly two days, and are much deteriorated..- • . . TOKOMAIRIRQ PLAIN"," 1 AKATORE, WAJtTA- "' HUNA^ AND TUAPEKAi '. The extent of laud in wheat is trifling, and it exhibits,, on the .whole, a decrease as compared with the previous year. Th& oats are looking^ fair ; ,;and; excepting on the Plain, there is a general increase. - In Akatpre, there are 400 acres of oats ; in Tuapeka, 600; in Wadtahuna, , 130 ; in Tokomairiro, the, breadth, sown- is : leßs than last -year, by one r third. . The. low prices , ruling ' last year , < f or ■ potatoes," diminished . the ; extent planted ;.. ■ and the 4 ; crop is, far; from promising. - 'In many., instances, .'• it.. wiU not pay for lifting. A good deal of land has been newly, brought ,t under * the plough- this season,: — In Tokomairiro,, ... 4Qo.l . acres ';' Tuapeka, 460 acres ; Waitahuna,-60 acres — all for the purpose of. being laid ; ..down in. grass. . On the whole, the effects of the flood have not been disastrous in this district.,' ■ • • • . ;. i r«. ! • MOLYNEUX DISTRICT. -, ,«. i'" In Inch Clutha there is much the * same area in wheat- as last year—^3o6 -acres ; most of it is late,- and the -yield; and' quality promise to be but middling. '(The oats (438: acres) are excellent. "Potatoes (43 acres} are looking well. The damage, gone by -the recent flood' needs scarcely, to- be- mentioned. • A. little rust -has 'apr peared on the wheat: On the" mainland atßalclutha, 'the wheat/CTOO acres) "ii apoor crop^not ' nearly so'-'good 1 ad jin 1 former years! The' oats (2585"a<Sres) ire healthy, ' and ■ promise' a returh : of, ;40, bushels to'the acre. Bust has J made its appearance ; but not to' any great extent.' The potatoes are v indifferent 'and'unßa^tisx factory 1 ,- but will' still yield about' eight tons, to the acre (290 acres).- 1 ' At Puerua/ there will be a great' decrease in wheat ; but the oats, will be abundant. "'Rust.has shown both in wheat and bats/ butnotjto any extent^" The 'potatoes are 1 a failure from 'the* wet, -not promising 'above X\ ton to' the acre. " " No . serious • damage has resulted from- the 1 late-, floods.'-; -At Warepay the ' wheat (50' acres) ''which exhibits a decrease,' isolate and under averuge, although free 1 from rust. ' Oats

(300 acres) anTalso late, but of fair average; " The crops generally have suffered from wet weather, more especially self-sown crops. • The low prices ruling for grain, induced settlers to sow only what was necessary for their own requirements! Early potatoes -were destroyed by wet, and the later sorts will not give beyond; fivo tons per acre (30 acres.) Popotunoa is the only districtwhere wheat shews an increase. It' ia said to be good, but late. The oats 5 (686 acres) are generally good, and an average crop. . Potatoes (24 acres) are a fair crop, but the yield is light— say Me tons* per acre. Kaihiku has a decrease in wheat, and the crop (140 acres) is below the average. Oats (950 acres) are an average crop ; butthey are a good deal affected by blight. Potatoes promise a very inferior return, not being estimated abovethree tons per acre.

South of Dunedin, a considerable extent of land has been newly broken up this season. In Warepa, 1000 acres ;. Balclutha, several hundred acres ; Kaikiku,' 1000 acres ; Popotunoa, 700 acres ; West Taieri, - 400 acres ; Waipori, ' 25G acres ; Tokomairiro, 400 acres. The wet season has been favorable for bringing in. new land. . As to the country northward of Dunedin, we have the following information :—: — ' ' - . BLTXESKIN DISTRICT. This district shows a small extent in wheat (45 acres), the crops light but healthy. Oats, 350 acres, late, but heavy and superior to former years. • The increase is above 300 acres. Potatoes are a failure. They are greatly damaged by wet and • wire -worm. About 180 acres of ! land have been broken up this season. The crops on the alluvial land on the 1 Waitati, have suffered from the floods y but .nearly all the cultivated land ison the ridges, and has sustained nodamage. . • HAVfXSBTTKY. The wheat (238 acres) is very good, but late. Oats (1892 acres), also good, but late. Potatoes (102 acres) bad, owing to continued wet weather. The probable yield is three tons per acre. No rust or blight has appeared in the grain crops; but the root crops 'are much over-run with weeds, the wet state of the ground preventing the use of the drill-harrow-The acreage of wheat Los decreased, and that of" oats has increased. Above 1000' acres have been newly broken up ; the greater part' of which will be sown down without cropping. One settler has contracted for 5000 gum trees being planted on his property. ■ ';,'. PALMERSTON DISTRICT. : The wheat (670, acres) is reported as> bad. ; , the oats (2405 . " acres) as • pretty gopd-; and potatoes (88 acres), -as * bad. i.This, unfavorable,, report was made just before the .recent storm, so that it ia doubtful if the district will have enough crop for its own subsistence. About 2000 acres have: been brought under cultivation. .. ; {% , , v . ', ' . <;, MOBEAKI DISTRICT. ', The reports 'from this district presentthe same features as the greater part, of „ the others, namely— Wheat, deficient;? oats, good' crop ; potatoes, almost a total"' failure.- • ■ • '■ - . " /The wheat (500 acres) promises well and>/veith favourable "weather, the return. i would-be good. '.' The 1 extent is much the 4 same ,4s last year. . Oats, which are'.yery'i good ,and heavy' (1200 acres), -show a- : large 'increase' on ' the .'previous year. I There is a partial appearance of blight, as. % well as smut, on'th'e oats^" ' The potatoes- i (100 promise to be' a fair crop. * With' : - sunshine •• during. h'arvestj ' there t would -be" no damage from past -weti weather.' The damage from recent' floods..! is limited to the land of two or three j persons' on the flat bordering on the Ka- \ kanui.- '' f v ' : ' '' i• - % • ' 3 • ''•"' OAMAS.U ' DISTRICT. • J tn r Tlie state v pf ' tlie roads" prevented .ourl correspondent from ascertaining quantities j or extent' '^b'ut'he reports, generally, thafc| the. wheat which, previous to the last rain,, was" very good ? is now in a bad state, &- great'quantity, about the Waiareka, being; ' laid 1 flat^ and a 1 destructive wire worm v ha» ; made'its 'appearance, and devoured fully/ one' twentieth of the stalks. Oats' are veiy' : g'oo l d^ and' potatbeS are also a good crQp^'but few' have"been planted. The small' worm 1 ' referred, to as affecting the wheat, is found in the stalk, and when, the plant is affected, the' stalk turns quitet white'/' 1 ', 1 „ "■ ' • ""■ !_,! _, | ''V'A.bout"2obO acres have'been broken uj fornewland, to' be cropped with Vtiea next 'year. Three fine houses have, been built, belonging repectively to Mr Holmes Mr H. J. Miller, and Mr J. M'Lean, am a second house is to be erected by Mr Hunter.:' , , ;.,'„. ,•, • t t 'i ln all the districts,: the limited extent of land under' barley is very remarkable ; only' a few acres in each district being under that crop. „