TUAPEKA WEST.

Otago Witness, Issue 2561, 6 May 1903, Page 45

TUAPEKA WEST.

April 30.— Harvesting 19 dragging on, the crops ripening slowly and irregulaily. The fall of snow that we had last week did coneideaablo damage by breaking down, the standing corn. I have seen some beautiful crops of oats which, if they had ripened in good season, would yie'.d 60 bushels to the acre, but unfortunately the snow laid them flat, as if a roller had been drawn over them, causing considerable extra labour in cutting. Indeed, it is a question how to get at them. I notice some farmers are resorting to the old backdelivery and the scythe. It will be a cor.-eid-erablo loss, a-s the gTam was not ripe when broken down, and will not ripen while lying on tho ground. I notice a large area has been cut green for chaff, but it will only make- poor feed, not having the strength of the oats in it, but the snowstorm gave farmers a scare. Getting out in the morniiig and seeing the corn lying flat, with 3in or din or snow on it, was anything but a reassuring sight. However, since the storm has cleared away we are getting good harvest weather, snd those who have crops cut are busy stacking. We have had some good north winds during the past few days, and this is drying things up very nicely. It was at one time thought that it would be impossible to thresh any grain until spring, but if w*> get a few weeks of these drying winds it -will give things quite a different aspect, as the grain will dry and harden with this weather.

Noxious Weeds. — These pests are becoming a gteat source of trouble to the farmers. It is to be hoped th« Noxious Weeds Act will be put into force straight away, for the Californian thistles are spreading very rapidly, and, strange to say, there are acres of them about to seed on the Government reserves, and the seed blows away like a snowstorm. Worse still is the ragwort, which is becoming alarmingly plentiful, and. seeing the reports of cattle dying from its effects, it is to bo hoped that every effort will be made to destroy it, for it is evident that if stock arc shut up in paddecks and are short of grass they will eat this weed and pokon themselves.

Bunny. — Rabbiting has not been so brisk a business this season as iv previous years, for two reasons: the wet weather has been against tho trappers, and the rabbits are net so plentiful oa in other yeara, the tranpiag and porsoiiing combined keeping them in check.