FARMING IN OTAGO.

Otago Witness, Issue 1682, 16 February 1884, Page 13

FARMING IN OTAGO.

' It is scarcely a safe venture to speak at all about the weather this season, but appearances really seem to point at last towards the iucouung of summer. A week or two of anything like similar weather will be very welcome in the country districts, espe cialiy South. Scarcely any harvesting is yet going on, but many fields show signs of yellowing, and everywhere the grain looks in excellent condition. Next week should sco a good deal of cutting in the Taieri if favourable weather continues. Wo are compelled to hold oyer " Chats with tho Farmers " and other interesting agricultural matter. (FROM OUH OWN OOEBESPONDENTS. ) ■ * At last it would appear (writes our Wakatipu correspondent) that the winter of our discontent has been dispelled by glorious harvest weather. Quite a number of farmers have started reaping, and many fields of wheat are orning on well towards the stage cf ripening. The warm days have also had a good effect upon the oats, and many paddocks which a tew vweks ago were utterly despaired of will yet give a good account of themselves. However, on the whole this crop will not be an abundant one, and there i 3 likely to be a deficiency in oats and oaten chaff to meet the local demand. It is certainly an anomaly that our farmers hlmuld complain of stagnation and ruling prices when we have to import oaten chaff at a price of £7 a ton, and butter at lOd and Is per )b, when we can grow 100 bushels of oats to the acre, and when some of the cows in this district have been known to give lGlb of butter per week off natural pastures. Incredible as this may appear, it is nevertheless true. At present we get our chaff from Southland at about £7 a ton, and during every winter imported butter is retailed at from 15d to lSd per Jb. This position of affairs should certainly give food for contemplation.

A trial made here with one of Hornsby's rea] ers aud binders is highly spoken of, and it is stated that several orders have been given to the local agent for these machines.

The weather (writes our Naseby correspondent) for the past fortnight has been all that could be desired, and under its stimulating influence tho crops are rapidly, ripening. Already some of the more forward lota have turned colour, and a few days will sco the harvest begun in earnest. On the whole, the yield will be very satisfactory, and in some cases unusually heavy. At a sale of standing cropH to-day, wheat brought £3 2s 6d ; oats, £2 2* Gd ; and turnips (to be eaten off), 24s per acre.

Our Gore correspondent writes :— Tha crops are, despite the past rough weathoi", looking reinaikably well. A fortnight ago we were all getting despondent, — nothing but lamentations were our daily greetings ; — but with the fine weather came cheerful faces and renewed energy in preparing to reap that which we were much afraid we had lost, or were about to lose. Harvest will be late this season, but if fine weather continues for a fortnight longer it should be in full swing,

Our Wanaka correspondent writer : — The prolonged unseasonable weather has much retarded shearing operations, and although the main shearing may now be termed over, several weeks must elapse ere tho stragglers are all mustered and shorn. Through the inclement weather shearing on the stations bordering the Wanaka has taken an almost unprecedentedly long time, so under the circumstances the cost of feeding and paying the many extra hands required for the occasion will form a considerable item of expenditure throughout the district. Happily the weather has now changed, and summer, or something like it, has settled o'er the face of Nature, and let us hope to abide a while! As ii, consequence of the needful change the farmers are jubilant, and are as busy as bees in gathering the .fast ripening crops, for their f eara of rust and rot are now happily dissipated. From what I learn the yield is expected to be a full average one, especially over the Arrow way^ for I read in a, local paper that a farmer of that locality is willing to bet that the most of his wheat crop will average 100 bushels per acre. On the whole the farmers in this district appear to be satisfied with their crops, and some even speak highly of them ; but ere I comment at length upon so hazardous a theme I must have ocular demonstration, as statements are so conflicting. Our Waikaka correspondent writes : — Good weather having been the rule for some past, the crops are in consequence looking very well In all probability oats will give a heavier yield than those of last year, which was, in the month of January, too hot to let them mature gradually. Regarding the probable yield, I shall say nothing for the present. Up to the piesent time, so far as my observations have extended, no rusfc has appeared, and so little smut as to be almost imperceptible. The best paddock of oats that I have seen is one on the the farm of Mr Benjamin Johnston.' It is certainly a magnificent crop. The soil is firstclass, and produced turnips during the two previous years which were eaten off by sheep. Another oat paddock worthy of mention is one in South Glenkenich, owned by Mr James Smith. There does not appear to be much wheat in the district. All that I have seen looks well, but nobody need regret having little wheat on account of the late harvest. There is a little barley in. the district, but it is very far from matmity. In some places it is being kept down by rabbits. Parenthetically, I shall remark here that they are* very fond of barley, not only when it is growing, but . when it # is in the stook. Very little reaping will be done during this mouth, only a few paddocks of oats having as yet assumed a yellow tint. There are very good prospects, however, that harvesting will be general some time in March. The turnip crop and the pastuies are looking welJ, Bees are pretty generally kept here, Lufc there is no especial attention given to them. Of course, Bpecial attention is out of the question ir^ a new district. I fear the approaching winter will kill a number of hjves, for on account of the bad season the swarming in some cases took place within, the past fortnight. Apropos to this subject, Mr Jenner's articles on the bee are worthy of mention. They are very favourably received by tho farmers.

Our Pukeuvi correspondent informs us that the turnip crop in that district is altnost a total failifre, in consequence of the ravages of the fl 3\

Our Puerua correspondent writes: — Harvest operations commenced upon a few farms last week, the' crop cut being principally winter-sowD oats, which, if allowed to stand much longer, would not "be worth cutting, in consequence of tho ravages of the small birds. Ib will, however, be a month or six weeks before harvest becomes general. A good many of the farmers are complaining of the failure of the turnips ; but it is proverbial for farmers to complain, although I do not think they have much <?a\i6Q to do so, as the crops in general in

I this district will compare favourably with any on this side of Dnnediri. The small birds are doing great damage to the crops, and the rabbits are very plentiful, and will be so until the farmers take united action for their destruction! Our Waikaia correspondent writes : — The weather, I am happy to say, has spttled at last, and we»aro getting hot days with close, Hultry nights. The crops are coming on amazingly fast, and in another week or 10 | days the rattle of the reapers and binders will !be heard. The yield promibes to be quite prolific, and, except in one or two instances where famut has appeared, the crops look very healthy. Our squatters appear to have fought a successful battle with the bunny tribe since last autumn, the runs in this neighbourhood being well cleared, and the native grass better than it has been for the last Beven years. The expense of clearing off the mischievous little rodents has of course been heavy, but at tho same time the benefit that will accrue to the next season's clip will "more than compensate for the outlay. As far as I can learn, tuberculosis has nob shown itself among the rabbits here as yet. Our Winton correspondent writes : — The past week of fine summer weather has had a beneficial effect on all descriptions of crops, and a very marked improvement is seen on every hand. The crops are, as a rule in this district, late, and good weather is greatly needed to ripen and harvest them. At the time I write the weather is again broken and stormy, with a much lower temperature, and a fall of snow has taken place on the higher ranges in the distance. Grass continues plentiful, and the turnip crops are as a rule satisfactory. Our Palmerston and Shag Valley correspondent writes :— Notwithstanding the lateness of the season, the sound of the reaper is as yet very rarely heard. The crops are extremely slow in ripening. A small patch here and there almost fit for the reaper may be seen on a dry, sun-facing hillside, but the great bulk of grain in the valley is in a comparatively grden state. A fortnight at least of favourable weather will be required before' harvesting oDerations to any extent can be entered into. Unfortunately, however, after enjoying about 10 days of actual summer we are again experiencing cold, wet, wintry weather — just, too, a<< we were flattering ourselves upon the propitious commencement of the autumn. The wheat crop is very fair throughout the district, and a better yield than formerly may be expected. . Oats, however, are — well, nothing to bragabout. Blightismaking sad havoc in a great many fields, chiefly of this cereal. The rapidity with which it spreads is astonishing. Different reasons are adduced as the cause of this evil. The plant seems to wither and die without any visible cause. Some declare that it proce'eda from a kind of worm or grub at the root, and examinations I have made in one or two instances seem to verify this assertion, while in other cases it does not appear to b6 attributable jto this cause. The small birds are rather worse this season than last year. They are doing considerable damage to early crops, and a course of poisoning will have to be carried out this winter. Several farmers are letting the cutting of their cropa by tender, they considering this the most satisfactory mode. . The . current rate of harvest wages, can hardly be »»id to be -fixed yet, but Is per hour is talked about. Our Portobello correspondent writes : — Wo have had a week of fine weather here, which has been very welcome, as it has enabled the settlers to gather in their' grass hay crop ;' and if it continues they will be able to secure their oaten hay, which several have begun to cut. The grass' hay has been as a rule very heavy, but unfortunately, owing to so much rain having fallen since Christmas, the quality in many instances is not veiy good. The oaten hay crop, on the contrary, is in a great majority of cases a very light one. Our Lovell's Flat correspondent writes : — The crops ara»beginning to show signs of ripening, and if the present fine weather continues, harvest will be general in about a fortnight or three weeks. A few fields of early-sown oats have already been cut, but the loss from the ravages made by the small birds has been very considerable, and this pest will have to be grappled with as well as the rabbit pest. . Our Tuapeka correspondent writes : — The weather haß again broken at Tuapeka West. Rust may be seen in patches, but no serious damage is apprehended. On the ridges the crops look better than on the flats. A month or six weeks' fine weather now would be in- , valuable. The turnips are not the success anticipated, as the fly has been very busy with them ; still there is more winter feed here than in any previouslseason. Our Havelock correspondent writes :'— We have had some very hot days lately, which went far to gladden the hearts of the farmers. Should it continue the crops will be very good; as it is they are ripening, and cutting has in a few instances begun. The complaints of tha small birds are ereneral. They ara first in fho

Our Portobello correspondent writes : — We have had a week of fine weather here, which has been very welcome, as it has enabled the settlers to gather in their' grass hay crop ;' and if it continues they will be able to secure their oaten hay, which several have begun to cut. The grass' hay has been as a rule very heavy, but unfortunately, owing to so much rain having fallen since Christmas, the quality in many instances is not veiy good. The oaten hay crop, on the contrary, is in a great majority of cases a very light one.

Our Lovell's Flat correspondent writes : — The crops ara»beginning to show signs of ripening, and if the present fine weather continues, harvest will be general in about a fortnight or three weeks. A few fields of early-sown oats have already been cut, but the loss from the ravages made by the small birds has been very considerable, and this pest will have to be grappled with as well as tho rabbit pest. .

Our Tuapeka correspondent writes : — The weather has again broken at Tuapeka West. Rust may be seen in patches, but no serious damage is apprehended. On the ridges the crops look better than on the flats. A month or six weeks' fine weather now would be in.valuable. The turnips aro not the success anticipated, as the fly has been very busy with them ; still there is more winter feed here than in any previous^season.

Our Havelock correspondent writes :'— We have had soms very hot days lately, which went far to gladden the hearts of the farmers. Should it continue the crops will be very good; as it is they are ripening, and cutting has in a few instances begun. The complaints of tha small birds are general. They are first in the field, and the f am. ers say what is left after them is not worth cutting. They appear to be more ravenous this year on account of the late harvest, and the crops coming to maturity in places ; why" one field being favoured would show the extent of their depredations in a way that would be undreamt of, if the surrounding crops were in the same phase of maturity, and suffered accordingly. Monday night the weather changed from intense heat to an almost equal degree of cold. A good deal of rain fell, and on Tuesday the weather was still unsettled. (from our exchanges,) Wednesday's Southland Timea says • "Mr Fleming, of Fleming and Gilkison, called yesterday and exhibited a fair sample of Sutherland oats, of which he had just bought a parcel cf 1600 bushels. The oats were grown by Mr Alexander Manson, of Wairio, and ara now ready for delivery. They are the produce of land in the first furrow, and a good crop." B We (Tapanui Courier) are informed by a practical farmer that a noxious weed known in the Old Country as the " cockle " has appeared m this district in some of the wheat crops. This weed grows very strong, and after flowering throws a heavy pod with a white seed about the size of a pea. As the kernel ripens the pea becomes brown in colour. We are assured that the weed in question is a very obnoxious one, and that it does groat injury to the wheat crops. Crops in the Tokomairiro district, we learn, are looking very well, and several settlers have started to harvest. Wo have been shown a few average stalks of Tartarian oats, grown in a paddock near Clarksville, which were somehd d ° Ut SIX fe6t iv length » and s Plendidly The first" of this season's grain (says Wednesday's North Ocago Times) was deliveS in Oamaru yesterday from the Kurow ? ItSS mated of 60 bags of oats, which were coxSgned Sown 5X' g Tr S " m fr Tbe "mptaSfSS. thg best that have yet been raiaed ia the dis. At tho reaper-ancUb^,. yeßterdas .

(says Thursday's North Otago Times) a novelty was exhibited by the Wood machine. At the conclusion of the trial a sheaf platform or cage was attached to ths machine, which holds four sheaves. These four sheaves are dropped together, and in stooking the convenience of this contrivance is made manifest. The sheaves are dropped opposite the four in the previous row, and a stook of eight sheaves is rapidly put together. The contrivance was woll spoken of. Harvesting ha 3 already commenced in the Dunstan district. The late fine weather has much improved the appearance of the oat and ■wheat crops, and the harvest it is now expected ■will be much better than was at one time thought for. The turnip crops, however, are looking very bad, while, with but few exceptions, the potatoes, through being so frequently frosted, will be all but a failure,— Dunstan Times.