THE CROPS IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT.

Otago Witness, Issue 1476, 28 February 1880, Page 6

THE CROPS IN THE WESTERN DISTRICT.

From the report of a trip to the Western District, which appeared in the Southland Times of the 20th met., we glean the following :— From the Waimatuku to Thornbury Junction the crops in view from the railivay are ehort, and mostly light. On the alluvial flats of the Jacobs River the crops are of very varied appeaiance. As was to be expected, the dryness of the season has favoured the deeper and moister classes of soil, ar>d on them the crops of every description are luxuriant, and the yield of grain will bo very large and of extra fine quali'y. The sharper and more gravelly situations, from the san,e influence, were placed at a proportionate disadvantage, and all along the line, to the Otautau, the crops varied according to the nature of the soil and distance from the shingle substratum — from very short, thin, and poor up to magnificent stretches of level grain, that were truly a pleasure to admir.9. Much of the wheat and oats in the Grropera section was very heavy, and Borne of the late wheat was remarkably so, as late grain. Less corn and more paature gradually became the rule towards Fairfax and Ringway to Otautau, grass, natural feed, thistles, and Tabbits prevailing more and more over the cereals— which displayed similar characteristics to those lower down the valley. The cereals on Strathmore were much lighter and shorter in the straw than usual, but being very healthy, well-filled, and long in tho heads, the yield was expected to be not Jess than in or dinary years. Wheat, of which there is 400 acres, is calculated to average from 40 to 50 bushels per acre. The best piece of wheat on Strathmore. I was informed, was on a section lately bought by Mr Cupples, the yield of, which was estimated by different persons at 50, 55, and 60 bushels per acre, and -which carried — Mr Allan Carmichael, manager for Mr Mackintosh assured vs — the best crop he had ever seen. The variety was red straw white, There were no crops on Stiathmore last year, and therefore no comparison can be made. The break now under cereals, after having lain in grass for from three to eight years, was ploughed in spring, and sown almost directly afterwarls, the wheat boing all put in during the latter end of August and in September. Oats are grown to the ex. tent of between 400 and 500 acres, and range from very light to heavy. The probable produce was put at about from 50 to 80 bushels per acre, and at an average of 65 bushels to the acre all over. This estimate, as also that of tho wheat, appeared to us to be rather over tho mark, but certainly those who have had experience of the place ought to know best, anrl r,he sheaves were wonderfully " corny." B irley, like the other c-reals, wan not bulky, being what may bo termed a tight crop, buit in all probability ■will thresh well. The extent of it was not large, and it was guessed at from 59 to 55 bushels per acre. Harvesting was begun on the 10th inst., beintf about three weeks earlier than iusual, and is expected to last for about a month. Men are reasonably plentiful at from 9d to lOd per bonr and found. Both on Strathmore and on Ms #rtckiutosh'fl Gladfield property on the opposite

Sde of the river, the whole of the harvest work is done by contract, the machines only being furnished to the contractors. Of reapers and binders there are seven used on the two places, consisting of Wood's, M'Cormick's, and Osborne's. Of these O3borne's is considered to be by far the best, tho reasons for this preference being stated to be its having fewer breakages, iria'aug cleaner and neater work, aud getting over more ground than either of the other machines. Several ordinary back- delivery reapei'3 are also used, the contract price .per acre in their case for cutting, binding, stooking, stacking, and thatching being from 17s to 383 per acre ; for reapers and binders 14sApropos of wire binders, Mr A. Carmichael gived a decided opinion, from ample experience, that there is no danger whatever in using the straw, mixed with more or less wire, oa fodder for any kind of stock, and even where no special care has beeu taken in cuttius? wire-bound sheaves into chaff, he has found no evil effects therefrom. Fifty acres turnips oa Strathmore, grown on the freshly ploughed lea, were looking well for tho season, and under & dropping fall nnd open winter may yot be a oipital crop. Grass has been good but dry. Ninety acres carried over 600 sheep through the season, being an average per acre of seven Bheep. The rabbit post, wo were informed, had been pretty well put down, meantime, by tho use of all kinds of appliances; but the bisulphide of carbon had been found to be tha most effectual on this flat, and there had been seven men using it in spring. Where the paddocks where netted in, in succession, it had proved an effectual exterminatji. Dobbie's eeed-sower appeared to be the only noteworthy machine lately introduced into this part of the district, and it was spoken of in terms of high approbation after the season's use of it. The extensive farm of Gladfield is situated between the Jacob's River, Waim&tuku, and Heddonßush. The 750 acres of oats on it were described as being not so long in the straw as in ordinary seasons j not quite so good a crop as that on Strarhmoro, and as likely to average abiut 50 bushels per acre. The extent under thiß grain is about the same as in last year, and the number of bushels produced would not be far behind it. The acreage under turnips, about 800 acres, is also nearly similar to that of the preceding year, and the appearance is very fair considering the want of rain. The lambing had been satisfactory, reaching 60% on the tuesock from half and crossbred ewes ; 30 more bales of wool had been shorn than in the previous clip, on an output of 160 bales from 12,000 sheep, and the quality was strong, sound, and superior. This pleasing result was owing to the mild winter and abundance of turnips. With the exception of a eix-horse waggon kept for the hauling, all the work is done by contractors, of whom there are ten working up double-furrow ploughs and teams supplied to them from the farm. On the Ringway property, the number of acres under oats, which is the only cereal grown, is 450, and all on the terrace. There is a great want of straw, and the grain would not probably average more than 30 or 35 bushels per acre. Back delivery reapers were being used, on account of the unsuitableness of self binders for the steep sidings. One of Woods' machines in use last season, completely capsized when working this sort of ground, putting the driver in mortal terror of getting into the clutches of the binder j and the risk of breakage being considerable, it was laid aside. There were only 100 acres cereals last season, but these being on the river bed, the difference in favour of the greater acreage of the present time will not be more than 150 per cent. There had been imported a small quantity of Polish and Swiss oats, and the latter were a month earlier than any other sort. Scotch Birlie oatß also sue ceeded well. Turnips were grown to the extent of nearly 800 acres. Of these, 30 acres were on the second furrow after_ breaking up, and were very good, having fair-Bized bulbs already, but the remainder were bare on the tops of the ridges, and fresher looking on the sides and hollows. Unless with a moist autumn, the prospects of the green crop are not of the brightest. Cattle have done well on English grass, but the sheep pasture was too heavils stocked for so dry a summer. The lambing reached 75%. and the clip of wool was excellent. The sheep were 2-tooth, large, and with heavy fleeces. Little's dip was used, on account^ of bring a cold-water process, and dipping regularly every season is highly approved 'of by Mr Laidlaw. Rabbits were kept down by means of dogs, ferrite, traps, and sulphide of carbon, but phostmorua poison had not been successful. Sheriff's 18ft box sewer was employed, which is very light, effective, and well adapted for getting through a large amount of work quickly. A public meeting was held at the Schoolhouse, Otaria, on Saturday, the 14th inst. (says the Mataura Ensign) for the purpose of fixing the scale oi charges for threshing. Mr David Andrews was called to the chair. The chairman in his opening romarks stated that owing to the low prices ruling at present for grain it was impossible for settlers to pay the same figure for threshing as was done last year, and be thought it would, be advisable for settlers at this meeting to fix the price they intended giving, in fact this step had been taken already by a large number of districts, and Otaria should do the same. The chairman also suggested that some plan should bo adopted to restrict mill owners to a certain quantity per hour being, put through ihe mill, as a few settlers had oats on band from last year which they were unable to disDose of, owing to the dirty way they had been threahed. Mr James Elliott moved the following resolution : " That this meeting binds itself not to give moTO than 8s per hundred bushels for lots over 1000 bushels, and 9a for lots under 1000, andmilb should not be allowed to thresh more than 100 bushels per hour." Seconded by Mr John Haugh and carried unanimously. The following gentlemen were appointed a committee for the further carrying out of the business :— Messrs David Andrews, John Clement, David Cumming, John Haujh, and David A. Pervis. A vote of thanks to the chairman brrught the meeting to a close. At the competition of reapers and binders, held in a paddock of Mr Perkins, on the New River Flat, the first prize was awarded to a Marsh machine with Deering_ twine binder. There were only two other entries, an Osborne, and a Harvest King, both with wire^ binders. The latter, through an acoident, was withdrawn at the beginning of the trial, and the former was a- arded second prize. The work done by tho successful machine was excellent, as threeand a half acres of oats were^ cut by it, averaging 40 bushels to the acr?, in two hours and j fifty- eight minutes, including ten minutes of a We are informed that Mr P. H. Russell, of 1 Olipua, near Timaru, has juH sold two of his shearling Lincoln rams for 100 guineas. These 1 I sheep took first priza as two-tooihs at the laafc 1 ' Timaru Show, and have been purchased by Mr Brydoue for the New Zealand and Australian ; Land Company's stud flock In Southland, ' ' having be* n bred by Mr Russell from imported > sheep originally purchased for Otipua by Mr L Brydone himself, during his last visit to i England, from a choice selection of Mr Veaey's ' celebrated flock of Lincolns, When shorn in ' November laat, each of these rwaß plipped 261b > oj! clean skirted wooj, 9