Agricultural and Pastoral.

Otago Witness, Issue 1056, 24 February 1872, Page 1

Agricultural and Pastoral.

THE CROPS, THEIR CONDITION AND EXTENT.

We pubfish below our annual reports of the state of the crops in the principal agricultural districts in the Province. We regret that the list is not quite complete, owing to several of our correspondents not having forwarded their reports up to the present time, but notwithstanding this, the information given will no doubt prove of value. The reports speak for themselves, but as general impressions derived from their perusal, we may state that the accounts are on the whole much more cheering than we had anticipated. The damage done to cereal crops by the drought appears to be less serious than was feared, anti though the yield has been diminished, the quality appears to be more than usually good. Rust and blight have appeared in only a very small degree, but on the other hand the straw appears to be short and light. This, when taken in conjunction with the almost total f ailure of the turnip crop and the bare state of the pastures, will cause feed for stock to be more than usually scarce during the winter months, and this is the darkest portion of the prospect. Potatoes, also, with scarcely a single exception, appear to be a very poor crop indeed. In many cases the yield will be •only a fourth that of previous years. Barley has this year greatly declined in acreage, this decline being as rapid as the corresponding rise wtos a year or two ago. Except in the matter of live fences, but little appears to have been done during the year in the way of planting, and the additions to agricultural machinery are also fewer than usual. The latter, however, may be caused in some degree by the farmers being now to a large extent provided with such machinery. The extent of land newly broken up is also less this year than usual, owing to the drought. Still, as we have said, the accounts are not so very unfavourable as was feared, and in this we have cause for congratulation. We append the reports referred to without further Temark, except that they have been arranged in alphabetical order for convenience of reference :—: — anberson's bay. Rust has not made its appearance in this district, but blight has done so, though only to an. inconsiderable extent. The crops have all been more or less influenced by the exceptional dryness of, -the season, but the effects are far from disastrous. The quantity of wheat grown is not large, but the crop is in general an average one. Barley, also, is not much ■cultivated ; the crop, however, is fair. Oats have been grown to a much larger •extent this year than la3t, and the crop is a better one than might have been expected. There is not only, a very fair excess of straw over last year, but a fair, and in many cases a very full, development of ear. In a few instances the crops which, on the same ground, were hardly worth reaping last year, are this year unquestionably good, both as regards straw andhead. Theareabetween the Bay Horse andßay "View Hotels, which was broken up last season for the first time, has yielded, well. Potatoes are in-very indifferent condition. In many cases the yield is not more than a third of that of last year, and the crop is, generally speaking, below the average. Turnips, on the whole, are up to the average ; the rain that fell ,on the sth instant having doae them a great deal of good. Hay is a good crop, but grass is dry and sapless. The flow of milk has "been much interfered wi£h in consequence, and some of the dairymen have been put to both inconvenience *nd expense in order to maintain their trade connection. However, with a good hay crop, plenty of straw, and perhaps a crop of turnips not below the average, the prospect for the winter is not such as to engender solicitude. With regard to the area under the various crops, there is, as already stated, a considerable increase in oats, of fully 100 acres. In wheat and barley, the increase, if any, is imperceptible, but there has been no decrease. There is a small increase in the area of the potato crop, and turnips show* an increase of about 15 acres. Grass is about the ■ same as last year, aad hay is a more extensive crop by a few acres only. - The- following is the probable yield per 'acre of the principal crops :— Wheat, 40 bushels ; barley, 40 bushels ; ■ oats, 40; bushels ; potatoes, t> tons. It. is /to be regretted' that the recent planting of blue gums ' along each side of the swamp 'has been so unsuccessful. If, however, the ground on the paddoeked side were first ploughed io the depth of a few feet, and seed then put in, there is every likelihood 'that the attempt would be successful, and that in a few years shelter would be obtained from tSe' : pitiless southerly and southwesterly !>3asts.

BALCLTTTHA. On almost all the farms in the district rust and blight have made their appearance, though not to any great extent. Blight has been most destructive on the high lands, where the soil is of indifferent quality. All the crops have suffered more or less from the drought. Wheat is an average crop, but is not considered equal to last year's. Barley is an inferior crop, in general, though some good patches are to be found here and there. Oats are very light in the straw, but the quality of the grain is equal to that of last season. Potatoes, generally speaking, are a very poor crop, and not at all up to last season's average. Turnips are of tolerable size, but the blight in many cases has proved very destructive. Grass is very I scarce, and hay is an exceedingly light crop. The area under crop is about 3600 acres, being an increase on last year of several hundred acres. It is made up as follows : — Wheat, 950 acres ; barley, 250 do ; oats, 1350 do ; potatoes, 140 do ; turnips, 130 do ; grass, 550 do ; hay, 230 do. Harvest became general during the first week of the month. The probable yield per acre is as follows : — Wheat, 34 bushels ; barley, 30 bushels ; oats, 34 to 36 bushels ; i potatoes, 7to 9 tons. New land continues to be broken up but slowly, owing, it is believed, to the continued depression in the prices obtained for farm produce. No material improvements have been earned out, nor has planting received the attention it deserves. For hedge planting, furze or whins have been employed, but from their tendency to spread they have been found to be a nuisance. No machinery or stock calling for special notice has been introduced during the year. BLT7ESKIH". The crops in this district are free from either rust or blight, though they have been injuriously affected by the want of moisture. No barley is grown in the district, but the wheat is in very good condition, though of small extent. It is sown altogether on low, flat ground, which retained its moisture. Oats have suffered greatly from the drought, and are short in the straw in consequence, though fair in the head. A few paddocks are not worth cutting, and a portion will be cut for hay, but on the whole the crop is better than was expected. The seed sown in winter has done the best, having had the advantage of rain. Potatoes are generally speaking a failure, there being nothing worth speaking of at the roots. Turnips are in a like bad case, and grass has been parched up on all the holdings, though* somewhat revived by the rain that fell on the sth'. For want of food, the cattle have been in great distress, and have fallen off in condition, with a corresponding diminution in their yield of milk. Hay is a good crop. The approximate extent under crop in the district is as follows : — Wheat, 16 acres ; oats, 420 acres ; potatoes, 50 acres ; turnips, 27 acres ; grass (English), 950 acres ; hay, 21 acres. With the exception of hay and grass, these figures show a decrease as compared with last year. Harvest became general during the first week of : the month. The probable yield per acre I is calculated to be as follows : — Wheat, 50 bushels ; oats, 25 bushels ; the yield of potatoes cannot be estimated. Of new i land, about 50 acres only have been broken up this season. In the direction of planting or other improvements, there is nothing worthy of special notice to record. CAVERSHAM. Neither wheat nor barley is grown in this district, which is chiefly devoted to dairy farming and market gardening. The crops have escaped rust or" blight, but on the higher ground have suffered much from the high winds and drought. As the swamp, on the contrary, yields best in dry weather, this has been a favourable season for the crops grown on it. Taking the district as a -whole, the crops, with the exception of grass, which has been burned up on the high ground, will be about up to the average. Potatoes are light, but good in quality, and' turnips .are also a good crop. Hay is light on the hills but good on the flat. The area of the oat crop is about 150 acres, of which only 25 acres will be reaped for oats, the remainder being . cut for hay or chaff. Potatoes and turnips each cover about five acres only, and grass about 1000 acres, there being a large number of accommodation paddocks in the district for waggon r ers' horses: The area of the meadow hay crop is about 50 acres ; the area of ,the oaten hay crop is already stated above. Harvest became general about the Ist of the month, being about a month earlier than usual. The yield- per acre of the oats is estimated at 60 bushels. The potatoes being in small lots for home use, ho proper estimate of the probable yield can be formed. About 60 acres of land on -ihe Oorstorphioe Hills have been newly broken up; this season,, but as yet only a small portion of this land has been cropped. ■ market gardens have suffered much from the drought, the seeds

lately put in having come up very irregularly, or not at all. DUNSTAN. Rust prevails to the usttal extent among the gram crops, and the almost unprecedented drought has nearly ruined the crops generally throughout the district. Wheat, barley, and oats are very indifferent, but of barley there is only one acre sown. Potatoes are sound but small, and the yield will be very light. Hardly any turnips were sown, and even the small crop there is, is a failure. Grass and hay are in good condition where the land has been irrigated, but elsewhere they have failed. The approximate ex- 1 tent under crop is as follows : — Wheat, 15 acres ; barley, 1 do ; oats, 500 do ; potatoes, 30 do ; turnips, 2 do ; grass, 60 do ; hay, 12 do : total, 620 acres. This is a very slight increase as compared with last season. Harvest became general about the beginning of the present month. The following is an estimate of the probable yield per acre :—: — Wheat, 12 bushels ; barley, 12 bushels ; oats, 15 bushels ; potatoes, 2 tons. The quantity of land newly broken up this season is very small, and probably does not exceed 20 acres. The general improvements in the district, including the planting of trees, have not kept pace with those of former seasons. The principal improvements have been the construction of more permanent fences and outbuildings. The light yield of the crops in the harvest of 1871, and their almost total failure this season, have retarded improvements entailing any outlay of capital, to a very perceptible degree. EAST TAIEB.I. Wheat in this district is but an indifferent crop, being very much broken down by the wind. In one or two places, also, the take-all blight has made its appearance, but rust has done hardly any damage, except where the land was covered with water for a time. Even there, however, it is not bad. Barley is short in the straw, but the head is good. Oats are also short in the straw, but not so good in the head as barley, though good in places where they were sheltered from the wind. Blight has made its appearance on this crop in some spots. Potatoes are looking very bad everywhere, and at the roots arc as small as marbles. Turnips came up with a healthy braird, but owing to the drought made little headway afterwards. Grass has been very badly burned and withered, and a good quantity has perished by the root through the wind and heat. Hay is everywhere a poor crop, and but little seeded. Most of it has been eaten off. The gale of wind on the 23rd December did heavy damage to the crops and to the steadings on the plain, and the settlers generally will sustain severe loss from this cause. The following is the area of the several crops, together with the increase or decrease as compared with last year : — Wheat, 1186 i acres ; increase, 474 acres. Barley, 35f acres ; decrease, 84 acres. Oats, 1802 acres ; increase, 365 acres. Potatoes, 132 acres ; increase, 24 acres. Turnips, 70k acres ; increase, J acre. Grass, 425f acres ; increase, 576 acres. Hay, 89£ acres ; decrease, 316| acres. Harvest was general atthebeginningof the month. The yield per acre of wheat will probably be about 33 bushels ; of barley, 36 bushels ; and of oats, 32 bushels. In the case of potatoes no estimate can as yet be formed, the yield being altogether dependent upon the weather, but they may possibly turn out 3 tons per acre on an average. With the exception of what has been cropped, but little new land has been broken up this season. The general cry is that cropping does not pay ; nevertheless, as shown above, there is a good increase in the area under crop this season. A good breadth was sown I out in grass and clovers, but it has not done very well, pwing to the dryness of the season, and it is feared that a good deal of it will have to be lifted and sown again, as the roots of the grass have perished on the old pasturage as well as the new. There is an evident desire on the part of a few of the farmers to improve their steadings by connecting them by good roads with the district roads, and in some cases the old houses have passed away, and large and handsome new ones have • taken their places. As a rule the dead fencing is in' good repair, notwithstanding that it is expensive to keep up. Here and there thorns are being planted, between two fences, and whins have also been set. The latter, however, unless they are attended to,' will be a plague in a few years. On some farms they are being allowed to grow just as they please,' while on others they are cut once a year. The planting of small belts and corners with blue gums is becoming more general, though still far from being the rule. A very good practice is being pursued by some of sowing the gum seed at little pegs on ground prepared as for green crop,, in rows, and, cleared by the grubber and hancUhoed round the pegs. They have 'done well where properly attended to, but the trans-

planting of them is always a veryprecarious business, as many of them die under the process. ' The gums are such great robbers, that all other kinds of trees, . unless planted beyond their reach, do no good ; and for this reason, perhaps, other sorts have not been planted. With the exception of a few reapers, there have not been many additions to the agricultural machinery in use in the district. Among other industries, the most important is the Mosgiel Woollen Factory, which has been successfully started, and is working busily. The coal pit on Saddle Hill, at the back of Riccarton, is still in full working order, as also are the brick and tile works at the Saddle Hill toll-bar. FLAG SWAMP. The appearance of the grain crops at one time gave promise of a large yield 1 ,, but the high winds about Christmas broke down the wheat badly, and the subsequent dry weather stunted the cereal crops generally, and prevented their filling as they otherwise would have done. Considering the season, however, thegrain crops have exceeded expectation. On flat land they are good, though on hilly ground they are generally light. The potato crop has suffered greatly. , In some places the potatoes have not grown, and even where the tops look well there is little at the roots. Unless rain falls soon they will be a failure. A large area was sown down in turnips, but only a few acres have survived the drought and fly, and these look stunted. The grass is entirely withered up, and many of the settlers have to • drive their cattle a considerable distance to water. The hay crop was very light. The extent under crops is approximately as follows : — Wheat, 482 acres ; barley, 29 acres ; oats, 1564 acres ; potatoes, 34 acres ; turnips, 17 acres ; grass, 2755,. acres ; hay, 106 acres. Harvest was general in the end of January, being a week or two earlier than usual. The following is the probable yield per acre : — Wheat, 24 bushels ; barley, 26 bushels ; oats, 30 bushels. The quantity of new land broken up this season is 313 acres. The only additions to the agricultural machinery in use in the district are one threshing and several reaping machines. GREEN ISLAND. The drought this season has been unprecedented, and there is a corresponding depreciation in the crops. During the spring, and the greater portion of summer, they were most promising, and had they continued in the same condition in the latter part of summer, the results would have been different. Notwithstanding these drawbacks, however, the crops are by no means unfavourable, for if the quantity is light, the quality is very superior. In consequence of the dry season, oaten hay has been secured in a favourable condition, bearing the greenish tinge so much sought for by purchasers. Although a ton to the acre may be taken as the average over the district, there is a considerable area bearing upwards of two tons to the acre. Those which received a dressing of the refuse from the meat preserving establishment, have turned out an excellent crop, and had the season been favourable, a. much higher quantity would have been borne. By a jxidicious system of cultivation Mrs Shand and Mr Townsend'slands have given a superior crop ; but in respect to heaviness and quality of grain,, the farm of Mr Richard Runciman, Abbotsford, gives the highest average. Three-fourths of the oat crop is converted into oaten hay, and the area under it altogether is 1086 acres. Wheat is light, but the quality is very superior. Thereare about 45 acres altogether, yielding about 40 bushels to the acre. Of hay there is only about 40 tons. The potato crop, which was so promising in the earlypart of the season, is reported on every sideto be a failure. Although the quality is. excellent, the tubers are exceedingly few. The shaws received a severe disturbance by a storm, from which they never recovered. Indeed, many are looking forward to a difficulty in procuring the necessary seed for spring. There are about 57 acres under this crop. Turnips may also be termed a failure, for the aphis has attacked them most virulently. In conjunction with the aphis, the drought has prostrated the tops, and converted them* into a yellowish sickly tinge. Rain, however, might yet revive them in" some degree. There is an area of. 31 acres under' turnips, and 15 acres under mangels. The* latter are also an indifferent crop. Plantations are progressing but slowly. With the exception of straggling spots of the inevitable blue gum, there is none to record. Sooner or later greater attention^ must be paid to the rearing of trees. The ' blue gums planted fifteen years ago in this district 'are' no.w becoming most serviceable, being used for fencing purposes. The ' branches, largely, saturated with, gum, are being used for firewood. It is an undoubted fact that since a large portion of the bush has - disappeared ' here, the '■ seasons are • becoming drier, for on many occasions showers of rain are observed passing over

those portions where the bush has disappeared, while copious rain falls where the bush has been untouched, so that, apart from their usefulness, trees have undoubtedly a beneficial effect upon the climate. A belt of trees round a farm "would without doubt largely preserve the j orops from being shaken seriously by the high winds, and it would hasten the har- j vest from a fortnight to three weeks, j With the .exception of about 30 acres ] there is no new land broken up. During the last year a considerable number of agricultural implements, chiefly reaping machines, have been introduced, largely contributing to celerity of work and the saving of labour. Several chaff-cutters and other implements useful to the farmer are also in operation. INCH CLTTTHA. The grain crops are all looking well, and fast progressing to maturity. The wheat, in extent sown, and in quantity and quality of yield, has never been excelled. The oats are not so plump in the grain as in ordinary seasons, but in few places are they so far advanced as not to be benefited by an occasional shower. Neither rust nor blight has appeared on the crops, nor can they be said to have suffered from the weather. They were not sufficiently far forward to suffer from the gale of December 23rd. The damage done on that occasion was so slight, that all trace of it has since passed away. The early potatoes have suffered considerably this season from frost and drought. They are only now fit for market, and the. yield is much less than usual. The late potatoes, if favoured with ordinary weather, may be expected to yield an average return. "With the exception of those sown very early or very late, the turnips are blanky, but otherwise good. At no time this season has the grass been rank, and at present most paddocks are very bare. The weather has been very favourable for securing the hay crop, which is light. Wheat grown for seed, the sample thrashed is very good. The approximate area of the several crops is as follows : — Wheat, 400 acres, being an increase of fully one-third upon last season's crop ; barley, 25 acres, a great decrease ; oats, 430 acres, a slight increase ; potatoes, 42 acres, about the same as last year ; turnips, 40 acres, about the same as last year ; grass, 800 acres, a decrease ; hay, 35 acres, a decrease. Harvest is now general, and the yield per acre is estimated as follows :—: — Wheat, 50 bushels ; barley, 55 bushels ; oats, 55 bushels ; potatoes, 9 tons. About 40 acres of land have been newly broken up this season. There are no improvements calling for special notice. KAIHIKTT. The early wheat crop in this district is now about ripe and is of good quality. Barley is late, but a fair sample is expected. Oats are not an average sample, and the straw is very light. Potatoes are of good quality, but the crop is a late one this year. Turnips are not yet fit to be ■ singled in the furrows, and are too late to be a good crop this season. Grass is very scarce, and hay is a light crop. The crops generally appear to be free from rust and blight. The high winds have whitened the oats sooner than was expected, and the gale just before Christmas broke down and damaged the early wheat very much. The growth of turnips, the greater part of which was sown broadcast, has been retarded by the same ■cause. The approximate extent under crop is as follows : — Wheat, 115 acres ; barley, 36 do ; oats, 1300 do ; potatoes, 40 do ; turnips, 75 do ; grass, 2200 do ; hay, 45 do. An increase has taken place in the area under oats, potatoes, turnips, and grass, and a decrease in the extent of the wheat and barley crops. There is a slight increase in the area of the hay <srop. Harvest is now general, and the following is estimated as the probable yield per acre : — Wheat, 20 bushels ; barley, 15 bushels ; oats, 35 bushels ; potatoes, 4 tons. Not much new land has "been broken up this season. KAIKORAI. Neither rust nor blight has attacked the crops in this district, but the drought has caused them to be very light. The soil being a ferruginous clay, with a slight admixture of vegetable matter, will scarcely repay the labour for last year. Wheat is in fair condition, but there is very little of it sown. Barley and oats are both very light, and of the potato crop about half is good, especially under spade culture in manured land. Turnips have been destroyed by aphis. Hay is a light crop, and grass has been very dry, though it has succeeded in keeping the cattle in good condition. European grasses suffered more from the drought than the native grasses. ,The area under •crop this season is about the same as last. It is approximately as follows :— Wheat, 11 acres ; barley, 29 do ; oats, 370 do ; potatoes, 57 do ; turnips, 5 do ; English grass, 640 do ; hay, 240 acres. Harvest isjnow general, and the following may be Tegarded as the probable yield per acre :—: — "Wheat, 30 bushels ; barley, 18 bushels ;

oats, 15 bushels ; potatoes, 3| tons. About 20 acres of land have been newlybroken up this season — chiefly on the lately sold sections. LAKE WAIPORI. Wheat is an average crop in this locality, the straw being fairly headed, though light. Of barley there is only a small breadth sown, and the crop is very light. Oats are in very good condition on the j Waipori Flat, but extremely light on the j ridges. Potatoes, owing to the late frosts J in spring and the dry winds of summer, are a very poor crop. Turnips could not be sown m time, on account of the wea- j ther, and are therefore blanky and small. Grass has been quite burned up, except on low rich land, where it stood the drought better. Hay is a very light crop. j Neither rust nor blight has made its appearance, but the Tops have suffered very much from the strong dry winds, and the absence of both rain and dew. The approximate extent under crop, and the increase or decrease as compared with last season, are as follows : — Wheat, 104 acres ; decrease, 9 : acres. Barley, 9 acres ; decrease, 24 [ acres. Oats, 487 acres ; decrease, 6 acres. Potatoes, 17J acres ; decrease, 2\ acres. Turnips, 13 acres ; decrease, 3 acres. Grass, 976 acres ; increase, 198 acres. Hay, 35 acres ; decrease, 6 acres. On the ridges all the crops have been cut, and those on the flat are now being cut down. The yield per acre will probably be as follows : — Wheat, 30 bushels ; barley, 25 bushels ; oats, 35 bushels ; pototoes (perhaps), 1 ton. Owing to the dryness of the season, about 10 acres only of land have been newly broken up this season. Something has been done in the direction of draining the swamp, but no other improvements worthy ol note have been carried out. MAT7NGATUA. The crops have not suffered from rust or blight, but the severe droughts have damaged them very much. Binding the sheaves has been a work of much difficulty, owing to the shortness of the straw. In a very few cases good expectations are looked forward t© at thrashing time amongst oats, but as a whole grain will be very light. Wheat, however, though light, is of good quality. Barley is an inferior crop, and oats are also under the average, taken as a whole. Potatoes and turnips are very bad crops indeed. Grass is quite parched up, and a wretched crop. Hay is small in quantity, and medium is quality. The approximate extent under crop is as follows :—: — Wheat, 140 acres ; barley, 20 acres ; oats, 1 200 acres ; potatoes, 60 acres ; turnips, 120 acres ; grass, 26,000 acres ; hay, 30 acres. The cutting was expected to be veiy generally finished last week. ' One or two patches have been slightly shaken. The following is the estimated probable yield ncr acre : — | Wheat, 20 to 25 bushels ; barley, 10 to 12 bushels ; oats, 25 to 30 bushels ; potatoes (say), 2 tons. Owing to the dryness of the season, no land has been newly broken up. Several of the settlers have imported from home agricultural implements of various kinds, such as Nicholson's reapers and grubbers, Pine's double-furrow ploughs, &c. The Messrs Macdonald have purchased an eight horse-power engine and thrashing machine, and the same firm's flax mill has been in active operation for some time past. Two screw cheese-pressing machines have also been introduced. • No planting of any moment has taken place. MOERAKI. The cereal crops in this district are on the whole in a satisfactory condition, and have not suffered to any serious extent either from rust, blight, or the vicissitudes of the season. Wheat is, on the whole, a good average crop, though poor in places. Barley is a fair crop as to yield, though not of large extent. Oats are an average crop, and on two farms only have suffered from sea-blight. Potatoes are but a poor crop, and turnips are almost a complete failure. Grass, owing to the dry season, is in very poor condition ; but hay, though a small, is a good crop. The approximate extent under crop may be stated as follows :—: — Wheat, 320 acres ; barley, 100 acres ; oats, 2174 acres ; potatoes, 38 acres ; turnips, 30 acres : grass, 1790 acres ; hay, 21 acres. There is a considerable increase in the area under cereal crops, especially oats, and a slight increase in grass. Potatoes and turnips are of about the same extent as last year, and hay shows a decrease. The average yield per acre may be stated as follows : — Wheat, 30 bushels ; barley, 26 bushels ; oats, 33 bushels ; potatoes, 2| tons. The quantity of new land broken up since last season is 542 acres. With the exception of a single reaper, no additions have been made to the agricultural machinery in the district, nor have any special improvements been carried out. MOUNT IDA. Neither wheat nor barley has been grown in the district this year, and oats,

owing to the drought, are very short in the straw. Potatoes are almost a complete failure, very few being good for anything. Turnips, grass, and hay are •very small crops, and the last-named is very short and light, the yield being only half a ton per acre. The extent under the various crops is approximately as follows : — Oats, 1096 acres (all for hay) ; potatoes, 113 acres ; turnips, 5 acres ; grass, 7 acres ; hay, 1 acre. The hay harvest is now well advanced. The probable yield per acre of oats will be about 20 bushels, and of potatoes about 2 tons. 120 acres of land have been newly broken up this I season. An addition has been made to the stock in the district by the importation by Mr Walter Inder of 60 half-bred Leicester ewes, crossed between the Leicester and the Cotswold, and intended for breeding early lambs. White-thorns are coming largely into use as fences, several thousand having been planted this season. OAMAUTJ. We have not received our regular report regarding the crops in this district, i but the following remarks by our correspondent, which we republish from our issue of the 12th inst. , will form a good substitute for it :—": — " The crops are being rapidly got in, and although there are a few lamentable cases of nearly total failure, on the whole they appear to be quite up to the average. This cannot be fully tested until the threshing machines are well at work ; but one small patch of six acres of wheat, not very thickly sown, when cut, yielded 38 bushels per acre, and by the comparative appearance of other crops, some of them must yield 45 bushels. It is not expected, however, that the average will exceed 30 bushels. A fair crop of short oats, grown on the plain near Oamaru, yielded 55 bushels to the acre, and there are not a few -60 bushel crops. The quality of both wheat and oats is unusually fine. Barley will be a middling crop, if not threshed out by a renewal of high winds; but there is no large area of it, and a good deal of it is ripening unevenly. I have seen one remarkably bright sample, though, as it is not yet fit to cut, it is not quite filled out. It is only possible to make a guess at the acreage under crop, but it is probably not less than 25,000 acres in the whole Oamaru district, of which about 15,000 acres will be wheat. Notwithstanding the scarcity of hands, a very large portion of the crops is either in stook or carried, but threshing will not be general for a week or two. Some heavy showers have fallen during the past few days, but have only served to lay the dust and freshen up the grass and root crop a little. Potatoes will be a short crop all over the district. One or two very heavy crops of rape seed have been harvested, yielding in one instance about half a ton of fine seed to the acre. A large quantity of rape will be sown as soon as rain falls for winter steep feed, which will otherwise be excessively scarce, the grass being so much burned up by the scorching nor- westers and the absence of rain. A fortnight's fine weather, with only occasional showers, is, however, now greatly to be desired to - enable the farmers to place their cereal crops in safety." OTEPOPO. No rust is visible, but the crops have suffered greatly from drought and hot j winds, having ripened before they were j properly filled. This has caused a good deal of the grain to be light, and to have a shrivelled appearance. Wheat is a fair crop, though considerably damaged by the winds. Barley is very short, but the yield will be a fair average. Oats are a light crop in general, but several fields look extremely well. Potatoes, owing to the drought,. are a poor crop. "Very few turnips have been sown, and these are almost failures. Grass is looking very bad ; in fact, the fields are quite bare. Hay is a very good crop, with a fair yield of seed. The area under wheat is about 3000 acres, or some 500 acres more than last year. The extent of the barley crop is merely nominal, and shows a considerable decrease on last year. There are 7500 acres under oats, being an increase during the present year of 25 per cent. Potatoes cover 100 acres, or about the same as last year. Turnips are a very small crop indeed, and of smaller area than last year. Grass on the other hand shows an increase of 1000 acres, the total area under it being 4000 acres. The area under hay is 300 acres, being an increase of 50 per cent, on last year. Harvest became general at the beginning of the month, the crops having ripened much earlier than usual. Men have been very scarce, and the wages in proportion exceptionally high. The probable yield per acre is as follows :— Wheat, 25 bushels ; barley, 20 bushels ; oats, 35 bushels ; potatoes, 4to 5 tons. From 2500 to 3000 acres of land have been newly broken up this year. Among the improvements effected may be mentioned the planting of several miles of live fences. The district roads, also, have been improved. One Bansomes and Sims's threshing mill and

engine has been .added to the agricultural machinery in the district, but there has been no important addition to the stock. PAPAKAIO. The crops are blighted to a great extent. During the months of December and January, hardly any rain fell, and there has been a succession of scorching wine's, which have blighted the corn and parched the soil. Wheat and barley are both good crops, but much of the former is blighted. Oats are of poor quality, and ill filled. Turnips are a complete failure, and potatoes are nearly as bad, and are very small. Grass is very much dried up, and hay is a total failure. The extent under crop may be approximately stated as follows,: — Wheat, 4000 acres ; barley, 250 acres ; oats, 2150 acres ; potatoes, 35 acres ; grass, 4oo acres; hay, 50 acres. We have not received the figures for turnips, but the very small quan~ tity sown has failed. The increase of land under crop this year has been very great. The land newly broken up, amounting to between 500 and 600 acres, is nearly all in wheat. Harvest is now nearly over. The yield per acre will probably be somewhat as follows : — Wheat, 20 bushels ; barley, 27 bushels ; oats, 28 bushels ; potatoes, 1^- ton. Two thrashing machines, with 10 horse-power engines, are the only noteworthy additions made to the agricultural machinery in the district. POPOTTTNOA. The crops in this district are somewhat smutty, though free from blight or rust. All the descriptions of crops have suffered most severely from' drought and high winds, but as yet have been exempt from frost, which has usually caused serious damage to them. Wheat is generally thin and short, and still not nearly ripe. Barley does not grow well in the district, and the quantity planted is not worth mentioning. Oats are just becoming ripe, but seem to be light in every way. Potatoes are a comparatively poor crop, as regards quantity, bnt are likely to be of good quality. Turnips are very backward in general, and with some are almost a failure. Grass is very bare, being almost burned up, and hay is an exceedingly light crop. The extent undercrop may be approximately stated as follows : — Wheat, 36 acres ; oats, 400 acres ; potatoes, 17 acres ; turnips, 20 acres ; grass, 430 acres ; hay, 15 acres. The figures for grass are merely for that on farms, exclusive of that on stations. There is an increase in wheat, turnips, and grass, as well as in oats to a small extent. Potatoes and hay are of about the same extent as last year, and the very small quantity of barley sown shows a decrease. The probable yield per acre is as follows :—: — Wheat, 17 bushels ; oats, 30 bushels ; potatoes, 2 to 3 tons. Not much new land has been broken up this season, and only one or two acres have been planted. In the introduction of stock nothing of importance has been done, and with the exception of a reaper or two no additions have been! made to the agricultural machinery in use in the district. PORT MOTiYNEUX. The crops have suffered from wind, sun, and long continued drought, but not from rust or blight. There is but little wheat sown in the district, and that little is backward. Barley promises very fair, but oats are very light and deficient in straw, and the crop will be considerably under the average. Potatoes have been spoiled by the high winds, but are good in sheltered situations. Turnips are a failure, and grass is almost entirely burned up. Of hay there are some pretty fair plots. The area under crop is much about the same as last year. It may be stated approximately as follows : — Wheat, 100 acres ; barley, 90 acres ; oats, 500 acres ; potatoes, 150 acres ; turnips, 100 acres ; grass, 1000 acres ; hay, 100 acres. Harvest is expected to become general about the end of the month, and the probable yield per acre is calculated as follows : — Wheat, 20 to 25 bushels ; barley, 35 bushels ; oats, 10 to 25 bushels ; pototoes, 7to 10 tons. Several hundred acres of new land have been broken up this season. The district being a small one, and the land swampy and long sold, no important improvements have been lately carried out. POBTOBELLO. The spring of 1871 was one of great promise. The yield of grass oitthe pastures was much greater than for many years previous, and the early potatoes and spring crops generally were of a very superior description. The drought of summer, however, continuing so long, and the prevalence of strong winds from the 25T.W. and S.W.-the former drying and parching everything they passed over — have blasted the hopes and prospects of the settler to a very great extent. The loss of fences and damage to the standing crops by the extensive bush fires that have raged for miles, carrying terror and dismay to many a homestead, have added to the difficulties that surround our struggling population. From. ■ various

wheat lias not been sown to even its usnally limited extent in this district. There can scarcely be 20 acres under it, and, except in very favourable circumstances, it will yield but a very poor return. Barley is somewhat larger in extent, but little better in quantity or quality. Oats, for green feed, occupy about 150 acres. They have suffered from the drought so much that unless the seed now being sown and yet to be sown is favoured with more genial weather, the prospects of the dairy farmer for the coming winter will be very gloomy. The potato crop may be considered, almost a failure. The yield will not only be small, but the quality bad ; I and although the area — about 120 acres — is rather larger than last year, the crop will be far less. In addition to suffering from the drought, the high winds, and more particularly the furious gale on the '23rd December, damaged or destroyed a large extent of it. So completely has the grass been withered, that the yield •of milk has fallen off enormously, and some have resorted to the usual winter expedient of felling green bush, to ■give the cattle a more succulent diet than the grass will yield. ' The hay crop, however, has been one of the largest seen for many years, and the drought, which proved so disastrous to late crops, enabled ihe farmer to cut and stack this crop with more than usual despatch and success. Not more than 100 acres have been cleared for all purposes, the principal portion "being laid down in pasture. This is a ■decided decrease on former years — a result owing, no doubt, to the very low prices which have prevailed for dairy produce during the year, and which have discouraged any further outlay on the land. As such prices are likely to be continued, it is desirable that every effort I should be made to find an outlet for the ! surplus produce, either in the home j market or elsewhere. There is no doubt , that much of the butter made, and sold in ' the Dunedin market, would be sorry stuff after a voyage to Britain. At the same time, there is no reason why improved manufacture and careful packing should not be sought, to enable the merchant to land good and wholesome New Zealand produce in the old country. PUEKTTA. Wheat is a late and very inferior crop, •and the same must be said of barley. Winter sown oats are also an inferior crop, but the ate sown spring crop is still green, and would improve to some extent by an early fall of rain. Blight has shown itself slightly, and all the crops, without exception, have suffered severely j from the violent parching winds and want of rain. Turnips, potatoes, grass, and j hay, from these causes, may be said to be | almost complete failures. With regard to the extent of the various crops we learn : — There is no increase in the area tinder wheat or barley this season, but there is considerable increase in the extent of ground under oats. The area of land under potatoes is much the same as last year. Turnips, however, seem to be growing in favour with the farmers in the district, and every year the extent of ground under this crop shows considerable increase. There is also an increase in the quantity of land sown down for pasture, but the land under hay is of smaller extent than last year. Winter sown oats are the only crop as yet ready for harvesting ; the others will not be ready for another fortnight. The probable yield per acre is estimated as follows :— Wheat, 15 bushels ; barley, 15 bushels ; oats, 20 bushels ; potatoes, l£ ton. Less land has been newly broken up this year than last, and no improvements worthy •of record have been effected. RIVERTOK. The cereal crops this year are generally I short in the straw, owing to the cold wet spring and the parching winds and drought that followed. Blight and rust are to be found, but only in exceptional instances. Wheat does not appear to be up to the • average in yield, though the breadth : sown is a slight increase on last year. ■ Barley is backward, but in average con- ■ dition otherwise. The area under this , crop has largely decreased, but a more ■ improved style of culture, with an eye to • quality, would improve the demand. ; Some excellent samples were sent from ■ this district last year. A consider- j ably larger breadth of oats has been j grown, but the crop is very light, . -and in many places hardly worth ] cutting. Potatoes have suffered greatly from the want of rain, and have also been ] attacked in some places by grub. Tur- -\ nips are a fair crop, and also want rain 3 "badly. Grass is rather scarce in some ] parts, but in others is up to the average. , Hay varieß from a light to an average , ■crop, and has been well saved. The ex- ■, tent of the root crops is about the same j as last year. Grass shows an average increase, and some of it has, been, ploughed up. The hay crop will be increased by a large breadth of inferior oats being cut for i that purpose. Harvest is expected to be ] general between the 20th and 28th i

i February. The following is the proba- . ble yield per acre : — Wheat, 15 to 25 , bushels ; barley, 18 to 40 bushels ; oats, ■ 20 to 30 bushels ; potatoes, 3 to 4 tons. r A large quantity of new land has been - broken up this season, and more has been : fenced in. Live fences have been planted r to a large extent, and this work is still in I progress in all directions. Two additional i thrashing machines, of eight horse-power L each, and several new reapers, have been i provided, while double-furrow ploughs r are coming into general use. On the r whole, while they regret the failures j • caused by the unfavourable character of I the season, the farmers in this district ; have cause for congratulation in the ■ general progress made. 1 saddle mix. I The harvest in this district became t general about the 6th inst. The area [ under crop is about the same as last year. , Wheat and turnips show a slight increase. ' Of the wheat, part is well coloured, and the remainder in full ear. The crop, on [ the whole, is a good one. No barley is grown, but of the oats we learn that early sown are good, while the straw of late sown is very short. Potatoes on some , farms are looking fair, but taking the whole district into account, the crop is j poor. Turnips have brairded well, but' their growth has been checked byj the want of rain. The grass is almost i completely burned up. The rye-grass hay crop is fair, and has been all safely housed. Oaten hay has also been secured in good condition. On some farms in the ! district rust and blight have made their . appearance, but not to any extent. The crops, however, have suffered a good deal [ from the high winds and long-continued drought, but the injury done to them will not be fully known till they are threshed. Much of them has coloured ' prematurely. The probable yield per acre may be set down as follows : — Wheat, 30 i bushels ; oats, 40 bushels ; potatoes, 5 i . tons. No land has been newly broken up this season. One or two reaping machines have been added to the agricultural machinery in use in the district. A few new houses have been erected during | the year, and around most of the farm steadings will be found clumps of blue gums. Altogether, notwithstanding the hard times, most of the farmers seem to I be in easy circumstances. TAPANUI. The unusually dry and hot summer experienced in this young district has had a perceptibly injurious effect on the crops, although not to any serious extent. During the winter and early part of ' spring, the farmers made vigorous efforts, ,in the way of fencing, ditching, &c., to j bring as much under crop as possible, ' and as a result, a good wide stretch of waving grain now meets the eye. The j district being pretty well watered by creeks, and the portions of land already broken up being either low-lying or contiguous to the river and swamps, the crops have not suffered so much as in less favoured districts. Of the oats — of which there are over 225 acres — it may be said there is a tolerably good yield, the crop being estimated to produce between 33 and 35 bushels to the acre. Wheat and barley have not as yet been much grown, and what has been sown is only by way of experiment. The yield will be about 30 bushels. The crop of hay is short and light, but perfectly good otherwise. English grass .paddocks have suffered a good deal in consequence of the drought, but the late rain has had a wonderful effect in revivifying them. There are about 200 acres of artificial grass, but this branch of agriculture will never be much practised, as in good seasons the natural pasture is generally as good, and ; in some instances better. Potatoes and : turnips have both been much retarded, and, as a whole, these crops will be in- ; ferior in quantity, although unusually ; good in quality. Thirty acres have been planted with potatoes, and. about one- ' third as many have been sown with : turnips. The yield of the former • will be about 4 tons, and the latter '' about three tons to the acre. Be- ] tween 90 and 100 acres have been broken '• up this season, of which perhaps 50 are 1 lying fallow. No very important im- I pro cement has been carried out in plant- ' ing trees, but a good deal of gorse hedg- { ing has been sown. This will materially { add to the beauty of the plain by andbye. In the matter of agricultural ap- ' ph'ances, no additions calling for note £ have taken place. Altogether, as a dis- J trict, a considerable advance has been 1 made upon last year — a greater area has * been sown, more system has been displayed, and more genuine farming accom- ' plished. During the year the first £ ploughing match, held in the district took place, and was a great success. TOKOMAIRIKO. Except -from the want of sufficient < rain, owing to which they have ripened 1 prematurely, the crops have not sustained 1 any injury. Wheat is light, and short in 1

- quantity, but the' quality is excellent. 5 Its extent is somewhat less than last , year. Very little barley has been grown . this year — not more than a fourth as i much as last season — and much of it is i inferior, though there are one or two good i fields. . Oats are of about the same cxi tent as last year, but are very light, being 1 about a fourth part short of last year's f crop, and one half short of former crops. i A portion has been depastured off. Pota3 toes, in extent," are the same as last year, i but have no roots worth speaking of, 3 and unless rain comes soon will be £ a complete failure. Turnips also show t no diminution in the area planted, J but unless revived by rain, the yield will be only about a quarter of the xisual amount. There is a small increase s in the area under grass, but it has been scorched up, and yet cattle are doing wonderfully well. Hay is a much smaller ' crop than usual, and is very short and j light as a rule. Harvest became general t during the first week of the month ; the s yield per acre will probably be as follows : r — Wheat, 25 bushels ; barley, 27 bushels; 4 oats, 30 bushels ; potatoes, 4 tons. About [ 100 acres of land, consisting of pieces [ here and there, have been newly broken |j up this season. Considerable additions . ; to the agricultural machinery in the district | trict have been made, in the shape of . I threshing machines, reapers, and double- ' furrow ploughs. TUAPEKA AND BEAUMONT. The grain crops in general are exempt j from rust and blight, but they have suffered greatly from the want of rain — j oats especially so. Wheat is an average ■ crop as to yield, and in quality is very I good. Barley is but an indifferent crop, ■ and oats a very inferior one. Potatoes are likewise a very poor crop, and turnips | are a general failure, the cause in both j cases being the drought. Grass and hay are both very light. The approximate j extent of land under crop is as follows :—: — Wheat, 360 acres ; barley, 30 acres ; oats, 1650 acres ; potatoes, 125 acres ; turnips, 25 acres ; grass, 1700 acres ; hay, 40 ; acres. As compared with last year there is an increase in wheat of about 100 I acres ; in barley, a decrease ; in oats, an increase of 200- acres ; in potatoes, a decrease ; in turnips, a slight increase ; in grass, an increase of 250 acres ; in hay, tlie area is about the same. Harvest is expected to be general for cereals during the latter part of the month, and for potatoes in May. The probable yield per acre is as follows : — Wheat, 20 bushels ; barley, 25 bushels ; oats, 25 bushels ; potatoes, 3 tons. About 600 acres of new land have been broken 'up this season. The flour mill erected two years ago has been greatly enlarged by the present proprietors, Messrs Sanderson i and Robertson, and fiom it a very superior sample of flour is now obtainable. A steam thresher, and a portable thresher and cleaner, worked by horse-power, have been added to the stock of agricultural machinery in the district. Several acres of forest trees, mostly blue-gums, have been planted during the last two seasons, but the dry weather of both seasons has been unfavourable to the enterprise, and in all probability it will be abandoned. Considerable additions have been made i to orchards and gardens by the planting of fruit trees. waikouaiti. ' The crops have suffered to some extent ' both from rust and blight, but chiefly , from the long continued drought and ex- ! cessive heat, no rain of any consequence : having fallen during the last five months, ; In fact, only two showers of any impor- , tance have fallen since the seed was put « into the ground. Grain crops are exceed- , ingly light, and only about half the aver- , age yield may be expected. The quality, ] however, will be good. Turnips are i almost an entire failure, and potatoes are j a very indifferent crop, and will be ex- j tremely scarce. Grass has been com- 1 pletely burned iip, and feed is as scarce j as it usually is in the middle of winter. \ Hay, both oaten and rye grass, is a very { light crop. The approximate extent of \ the crops is as follows : — Wheat, 820 £ acres ; barley, 10 acres ; oats, 1130 acres; ( potatoes, 45 acres ; turnips, 80 acres ; \ grass, 4100 acres ; hay, 95 acres. More j than half of the crops has been cut, and X a good deal is in the stack. The yield per t acre will probably be as follows : — Wheat, s 16 bushels ; barley, 16 bushels ; oats, 18 < bushels ; potatoes, 2 tons. About 500 ( acres of land have been newly broken up t this season. Reaping machines are now j in general use in the district, and the } double-furrow plough is being introduced. Much more attention than formerly is j being given to the breeding of both cattle and horses. f waiwera. 1 The harvest is very early this season, \ in consequence of the great drought, and 1 the general complaint is that the crops, a especially oats, are the poorest that have c been known for some years past. Wheat t has certainly not suffered so much from a the dry weather, and at present, although 1

* I very short in the stalk, its ear is pretty t ; full, and farmers generally have not much i to complain of in that respect. With re3 gard to oats, however, in very few in3 stances could the crop be pronounced I even a fair one, and if the market has " been glutted with that commodity during I the past year, the general impression is 3 there will be a reaction in this respect dur- ■ ing the succeeding twelvemonths ; and that - a considerable advance in the price of oats > may be anticipated. Barley, which has i been sown in small quantities, may be J pronounced a fair crop, although it will r never be grown to any extent in this disi trict. Potatoes and turnips, which were !• very backward some time ago, have now 5 a very promising appearance ; and if they J only get a little more rain, there will be ian excellent crop. Grass has suffered \ very much indeed from the long-con- * tinued dry weather during the months of !• December and January, and in some in- !• stances, on the rising grounds, it has been * almost burned up. There is little to : boast of in the matter of hay, and only in ! one ortwo instances may anything like afair ; crop be looked for. Complaints regarding 1 eitherrust or blight have been veryfew this 1 season. The approximate extent under 1 crop may be stated as follows : — "Wheat, ; 1200 acres, much about the same as last : season ; barley, 300 acres, fully less than 1 before ; oats, , 8000 acres, considerably less than the previous season ; potatoes, 500 acres, if anything an increase on last year ; turnips, 1000 acres, about the same ' as before ; grass, 900 acres ; and hay, 1 500 acres, little difference from last year. The probable yield per acre may be put down as follows : — "Wheat, 30 bushels ; barley, 30 bushels ; oats (very poor), 25 bushels ; potatoes, 10 tons. A considerable quantity of land has been broken up for the first time this season ; and a great quantity of what has been hitherto devoted to the produce of grain, is now being laid down in English grass. Since last year no important improvements have been carried out, and but little has been done in the way of planting. In fact, the prevailing high winds in this district will ever form a serious drawback to the growth of young trees. As for the importation of stock in this district, the settlers here would be only too glad to find a market for the stock they have, and in some instances they have been compelled to part with cattle and sheep at low prices, owing to a scarcity of feed to support them. WAREPA. The crops are inferior both in quantity and quality, owing to the drought and the frequency of heavy south-west gales. The dryness of the season, however, has not told so severely upon wheat as upon oats, potatoes, turnips, and grass, and barley is also an inferior crop. In the neighbourhood of Messrs Dalgleish and Lamond, there is some fine looking spring wheat, promising a yield quite up to the average of former years. Autumn-sown wheat, which is generally considered superior to spring-sown, has this year suffered severely from the parching gales. Potatoes are a decided failure, there being nothing at all, or very little indeed, at the roots. It appears pretty certain there "will not be sufficient even for seed alone. Turnips are likewise almost a total failure. Grass, where not near bush, has the appearance of dying out. A good deal of grass land is over-run with the noxious Cape-weed. This, of all evils in a small way, is the greatest the farmer has to contend with. On the tops of uncultivated ranges, by road-sides, and round the fairest homesteads, the vile intruder flourishes, indifferent to all conditions. Harvest became general about the 10th of the month for cereal crops. For potatoes it will be general about the Ist March. The following' is an estimate of the probable yield per acre : — Wheat, 20 bushels ; barley, 15 bushels ; oats, 25 bushels ; potatoes, -£ ton. Very little land has been newly broken up this season. In regard to stock, sheep are in estimation, but horned cattle, unless fat, are unsaleable. As grass-fed cattle can hardly be brought into desirable condition this season, owners of such appear 'to bo doing their best to cut them vp 1 among themselves and friends, filling their [places with half-bred Leicesters. The ' value of straw for manure- is now better understood, and it is carefully preserved and carted to the stock-yard, to be trodden down — a more rational mode of disposing of it than setting it on fire. More attention is also being given to live hedges and plantations. Two double-furrow ploughs have been introduced, and work well. WEST TAIERI. The wheat crop in this district is of fine quality, though the high winds have broken down and damaged the early wheat a good deal, and there is a little blight on that sown on sandy and light soils. Barley is in good condition, and oats are a fine crop, on lowland especially being very heavy. The potatoes are very small, but rain would help them a little. Turnips' are an inferior crop. Grass is

much gone, but may revive a little after the late showers. Hay is a fair crop. The approximate extent under crop is as follows : — Wheat, 1460 acres' ; barley, 200 acres ; oats, 1176^acres ; potatoes, 60 acres ; turnips, 80 acres' ; grass, 4800 acres ; hay, 50 acres. The 'figures for wheat and oats show an increase as compared "with last year, and for barley a decrease, while the other crops are of about the same extent as last season. Harvest became general about the 7th inst. The probable yield per acre is as follows : — "Wheat, 25 bushels ; barley, 30 bushels ; oats, 25 bushels ; potatoes, 3 tons. The quantity of land newly broken up this season is about 200 acres. WYNDHAM (mATAURA). The wheat crop has suffered from the ravages of wire-worm, and is consequently below the average. No barley is grown in the district. Oats, root crops, and grass, all show a good average, having escaped the ravages of insect plagues. The approximate extent under crop this season, and the increase as compared with last season, are as follows : — Wheat, 265 acres, increase 171 acres. Oats, 443 acres ; increase, 170 acres. Potatoes, 30 acres ; increase, 7 acres. Turnips, 12 acres ; increase, 1 acre. Grass, 90 acres ; increase, 44 acres. Harvest became general about the 12th inst. The probable | yield per acre is estimated as follows :—: — j Wheat, 35 bushels ; oats, 40 bushels ; potatoes, 6 tons. 245 acres of new land have been broken up, and will be under crop next season. No improvements worthy of notice have been carried out. Two reaping machines and a threshing mill have been added to the agricultural machinery formerly in use, and a flourmill has been erected, which accounts for the large increase in the acreage of the wheat crop.