AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL PROSPECTS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 17

AGRICULTURAL AND PASTORAL PROSPECTS.

AN EXPERT'S OPINION. Mr T. A. Fraser, of the Agricultural Department, arrived back in Dunedin by Saturday night's express from the north, after an extended trip through the»country districts from Invercargill to North Canterbury. In the course of a chat with Mr Fraser, one of our reporters gleaned the following interesting information about the farming prospects in southern New Zealand. There was, said Mr Fraser, every reason, on the whole, to be satisfied with the agricultural and pastoral outlook. In the past the rule- had always been that if Canterbury and Northern Otago were suffering from a drought a good season was experienced in South Otago and Southland; but this season seemed an exception. At the present time everything in the shape of growth was from three weeks to a' month late from end to end, and what was needed now was warmth all over — dry, warm weather in Canterbury and warm weather in Southland, ' Kith occasional tftioa* qg a. dry, gpell might,

make the oat • crop ' shoot , too quickly ' ill latter district. At .present; there 3 is a "great deal of growth of grasses - and^clovers from pamaru.'to pulyerden, and <he wheat crop promises a YiHd~inuch afeov.e'the average between these two points. Roughly ' speaking, there should be legitimately surplus of over 1 a 'million bushels of wheat available for .export "'to Australia, accord- | ing to present prospects. In 1899 there was a surplus of' seven .million bushels" available for export, but this year there is only half the area in wheat that there was in that year, and present stocks on hand now are reduced to a very low eKb. - ' -. Although the oat harvest, continued Mr. | Fraser, will of necessity in fhe south this i season be a late one,, a failure to get -the [ crop in has never yet been known in Southi land, and there should be a large surplus for export over and above home requirements. The fine warm weather experienced during the week ending December 13 gave the crops a start, and enaoled turnip sowing to I be gone on with ; but last week's weather wa3 adverse and wet, delaying shearing and turnip sowing,* and threatening to injure some of the heavy crops at present in ear by laying them. On' Saturday there was a very conspicuous, mirage on the Canterbury Plains. This as a rule denotes warmer and drier coming on. ,- ' The rape crop is coming well away in Canterbury, and there is no reason why this should not be a good fattening season. Sheep at present are in -strong "at ! good prices \ where there is a flush of pastures. - ' ■)•-*<- What with the advance in. the price, of wopl and the good prices- for "grain, frozen ' meat, and dairy produce now ruling, present prospects in the South Island' may at least be - looked' upon as very "favourable 1 -' to all concerned. Stock of all lcinds are looking" well everywhere, though, ,of course,, the i backward weather has retarded fattening.