THE CROPS. TIMARU DISTRICT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1474, 14 February 1880, Page 5

THE CROPS. TIMARU DISTRICT.

(from our special corresponbent.)

A thorough inspection of every part of this extensive district would be a work of a week at the least. I have, however, Be9n many of the crops within six miles of Timaru, and along the Albury line, and have conversed with those well acquainted with different parts of the district, and the result is that on the average the crops will be excellent, and the yield far above that of last year. There are, however, not a fewplaces where the wheat is ripening unevenly, and patches throughout the paddock show a diseased condition, owing either to rust, wireworm, or the rotting of the root by too much damp. In these cases the yield will be a good deal diminished, and there will be a large proportion of shrivelled grain. I think, however, if the present splendid harvest weather continues, the average yield of wheat will be considerably over 30 bushels to the acre, and of oats over 50 bushels. I did not see much barley, but what I did see promised well. The appearance of the whole district, as seen for miles round from the tableland some distance inland from the town of Timaru, is magnificent Clover paddocks are m full bloom, and most luxuriant. Indeed, I was surprised to see so little stock upon them. That will come, I dare say, & month later. There ought to be a large number of sheep and cattle fattened off in the autumn, if stores are obtainable at a price to leave a margin ; but I hear fat stock is not at present at paying prices. Meat-preserving, now commencing, will help the market. The Lincolnshire farmers, usually very reticent, expressed themselves as highly pleased withtheirfirst view of the district, which they say is "like Lincolnshire," and they are staying a day or two to look over several parts of the district more closely. It truly is a magnificent piece of country, and far more extensive than many Otagins are at all aware of. Harvesting is in full swing, and I was surprised to see comparatively few machine binders at work. The Reid and Gray tilter is very generally used, and thought most, highly of. The country consists of rolling downs, and the self-acting binders do not work well in the hollows. Labour is plentiful, but wages are not low. From 8s to 12s per acre, according to weight of straw, is being paid for hand-bindiDg. I should think three weeks of fine weather will see most of the crops in stook, and some of them threshed. I hear the crops on the plains will be splendid, the wet Beason having favoured the light lands.

MOUNT COOK DISTRICT.

The area under crop in the Mount Cook district last season was officially stated at 10,000 acres. This year the breadth of grain is much greater, a large quantity of new land having been broken up previous to last harvest, and sown to wheat in the autumn following. In the wheat crop the difference between this season and last is not so strongly marked in this district as on the plains. This season the wheat crops would havei bean better had^ there been less moisture and more heat^ Still the farmers must be very hard to please if they are not tolerably well satisfied with the present ap.

pearance of their crops. Some weeks back a good deal of anxiety was caused by the dis. covery of wire- worms, a species of peßt which had neTer before made its appearance in this district ; but the damage after all does not seem to be very serious. Many of the oat crops are prodigious, and straw over six feet in length is not by any means unusual. The extent of land under barley is much larger than in any previoua season, and the crops are for the most part excellent. Some of the crops willbe late, but on the early-sown land harvesting is in fall swing. Labour is tolerably plentiful, the price of binding ranging in most cases from seven to eight shillings an acre, but reapers and binders are in general use wherever the land is at all level, the tilter being chiefly confined to down land of a broken nature. The wheat throughout the district will average something like 35 bushels an acre, barley about the same, and the average yield of oats may be Bafely given at about 50 bushels to the acre. It is hardly necessary to say that the season has been specially favourable to the turnip crop, of which there is a large acreage sown, aud also to the recently laiddown pastures.— Lyttelton Times.

Saturday's Southland News says : — We < were shown this morning, by Mr J. H. Smith, a sample oil a crop of 400acre3 barley now nearly ripe on the farm of Bayswater, in the occupation of Mr W. B. Kingswell and himself. It was just one root, on which there were no le=is than 121 stalks, averaging 36 grains or pickles each, or a total of 4356 from the one seed. This is, of course, an exceptionally good instance of tillering, but the crop a 8 a whole is pronounced by experts to be far beyond the average either in this or the Home cmntry, the yield all round being estimated at not less than 60 bushels.