A HARD WINTER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1949, 2 July 1891, Page 6

A HARD WINTER.

Following the cold, boisterous weather whioh prevailed in the dosing weeks of May and continued until the end of the first week in June, the dry, frosty temperature experienced ■inoe has considerably affeoted agricultural and pastoral affairs, and must have a very decided influence on operations and prospeots before the advent of summer. So far as stookowners ; are concerned, existing circumstances portend exigencies in stock feed before any material provision can be expeoted from spring vegetation, for it is sufficiently well known that the pastures in the autumn were unusually bare, ! and grasses so closely cropped down suffer more severely in consequence from the frosts supervening. Again, the turnip crops have been muoh under average, and where not skilfully utilised Me certain to prove lamentably disappointing. The expense of storing turnips ia invariably Avoided by growers, with the exoeption of a few farmers in a small way, "feeding off" being the general plan retorted to. Under (he ; system as it is commonly followed an inoredibly large proportion of the bulba is worse than wasted ; sheep and cattle being permitted muoh too wide a range over the orop, the bulbs are consequently gnawed at generally, and two or three frosty nights complete the mischief, for frosted roots are not only innutritions, but injurious to stock as well. The closer restriction byhurdleß of the animals feeding would avert much loss, and followed up by the free use of the chaffcutter would enable owners of stook to eke out supplies of feed till spring. But unless next August, September, and October weather proves more than ordinarily favourable, the pinch will be severely felt during these months, and to make provision against the impending scarcity ought to be regarded as imperative by all who are dependent on keeping-atook for a profit, Very orude ideas prevail among farmers here as to the possibility^nay, certainty — of the growth of forage props for spring and early summer use, from winter sowings, out their misgivings would be dispelled were they to study the records of farm operations in Great Britain during the unpreoet dently severe winter there of 1890 91. As soon as cultivation was possible the agricultural journals noted the extensive sowings of seeds for green forage crops for use in spring, and as operations commenced in February, and were continued throughout the following three months, those who have had an experience of the Home Country winters : will admit tbat what ia practicable there in " catch orop " growing may be undertaken in this oolony with'a greater certainty of success. Unquestionably, very mistaken notions prevail concerning the injury likely to accrue from the action of the most severe frosts on autumn and winter sown cereals. The very latest accounts to hand advise the prosperous condition of Britißh winter wheats, after an ordeal the most severe experienced for a century. It is recorded of the Home winter in an artiole under the beading "The Great Frost of 1890 91" — "The rocent prolonged period of severe cold, the extraordinary dryness of the month of February, and the blizzard of the second week of March, have introduced some disturbing faotora into the normal phenomena associated with an English winter." Mr Charles Harding, F.B. Met. Sooiety, in a paper read before the sooiety furnished interesting particulars of the severity of the winter, ootnpiled from daily observations made with verified instruments at about 150 stations in the British Isles. In connection with the immunity from injury of the winter sown wheats already referred to, the following paragraph in the paper is quoted: — "The frost prevailed from November 25 to January j 22, a period of 59 days. It was most severe over the south-eastern counties of England, where the mean temperature for the entire spell was more than 2deg below tha freezing j point, Cambridge having a mean of only 28 sdeg, while at seaside stations on the coast of Kent, Sussex, and Hampshire, the mean was 32deg. In the extreme North of Scotland, as well as in the West of Ireland, the mean was lOdeg higher than in the South-east of England. In the southern Midlands, and in parts of the South of England, the mean \ temperature for the 59 days was more than lOdeg below the average, but in the North of England the deficiency did not amount to sdeg, and in tho extreme North of Scotland it waß less than Id eg." In reference to the distance to whioh the frost penetrated, Mr' Harding stated that thermometers fixed at various depths in the soil in different parts of the British Islands, showed that the frost had nowhere penetrated as far n&2lt into the ground, but in the South and East of England especially there were several days on which it was recorded at a depth of lft, while at 6in tho ground was frozen for a month. In Regent's Park, London, where skating continued uninteruptedly for 43 days, the ice attained a thickaesa of over 9iu.