WAIKAKA. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Otago Witness, Issue 1596, 24 June 1882, Page 13

WAIKAKA. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

June 20th.

Having been silent for a considerable length of tiino, owing to scarcity of news and other causes, I now purpose writing a, few notes. Of course the first thing a correspondent thinks of is tho weather; so I have to Bay that during this month and last it has been good, allowing of ajinost uninterrupted progress being niado w.th farm-work. We havo had a few alight frosts and showers of rain occasionally, but nothing worth making a note of. Nearly everybody is now busy ploughing. As April is always unfavourable to the jrtting of crops stacked in good condition, everybody seems resolved to havo land intended for oats and wheat plough? d in vinie. As oats are now at a vorv remunerative figure, and as tho yield is always heavy in this fertile distiiet, a deal of land will be sown with oats, and probably more than wa* last year uuder wheat. During the mouth of January turnip* looked so miserable that cvoryono predicted that they would be a failure. Not so now, however; for we have perhaps as good a yield as in former years, both on first and second furrow. Carrots and Swede turnips suffered a good deal from the ravages of ra The S resulfc of the threshing winch, was completed about a month ago, was very satisfactory, the yield of oats being equal to, if not above, that of last year And of wheat it may bo said that in nearly every inetanco it exceeded expectations, yielding about 30 bushels per acre. The average yield of oats for the district would be about 4S or 60 bushels por acre. The heaviest on rich soil on a few farms was about 70 bushels per acre. A good deal of tho sparrow-bill was threshed this year, and it proved very satisfactory. It is. now pretty popular, principally oti account of its good yielding quahtien, and to the fact of its being able to withstand tho effects of strong wind. After considerable experience with the Sutherland variety— a beautiful, plump white oat, not easily discoloured— our farmers speak of it in the highest terms \ but very little will be grown hore this year on account of its being too long iv the district without a change. Tho most popular wheat is now the white velvot. It is a beautiful, round, whito grain ; and although it does not give so prolific a yield as some other kinds, yet it is earlier, and seems well suited for thid district. Tho red straw is also vory good, and some of it is grown overy year, but it is said to be later in ripening than the former. Rabbits arc still very numerous, notwithstanding all that has been done to check their increase. The cause is obvious. Babbits on unoccupied' lands are very seldom poisoned, and as poisoning is not carried on at the Bame time over the district, many of the. rabbits never get a taste of the suggared oats. Thei c has been little or no harm done yet, however, to growing oats and wheat, evcept on the south side of the railway-line, near Gore, where the country ii steep and rough. In rough districts bunny must be a terrible pest, seeing that in many places it is not possible to lay phosphoiised oats. Here, however, there is no cause for alarm, as he has no shelter but the underground holes, the country being covered with tussocks only for miles in all directions ; bo there should be no difficulty in keeping him within bounds, as wherever the phosphorised oats aro laid the desuuetion of bunny is achieved. Partridges, which were increasing gradually two years ago, aro now rarely to be met with. Possibly phosphorised oats may be tho cause. In about a week the Knapdale ploughing match will take place, and no doubt thero will be a large turnout. Rain fell heavily all last night, and this morning (Tuesday) it is still raining heavily. ,