THE SEASON'S GREEN CROPS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2808, 8 January 1908, Page 6

THE SEASON'S GREEN CROPS.

The most remarkable featured of tha Government return of green "crop© for- tha current season is the largo ,jncrease> vlt turnips and 1 rape in Otago. Of the totaß increase of 29,721 acres of turnips/ Otagc* accounts for an increase of 26,549 "aores^ Canterbury increasing 10,000 _ acres, •. tfhile* Auckland has- decreased nearly 7000 acres 1 - In rape Otago .has, an "increase of 5848 acres, Canterbury of 23,782"*acre6, Auckland of 1213 acres, and Hawke's Bayr. of 6686 acres, out of a total' increase o£ 28,868 acres.' Mangolds show a total increase of 2968 acres, which may be taken aa_ evidence of a greater appreciation of this valuable crop. , The increase in turnips and rape Jin Otago is\ratural, considering the success of last season's operations in fattening and grazing sheen|' lambs, and 1 cattle, and gives promise that theT'district will make, a further advance* this season in the exportation of frozen* t meat.- . At present there are, indroatioiiw.t that farmers on the Canterbury 'Plains wdlK^! once' more be glad to send- their stock tox-*, fertile Southland, the pastures in the* ■ northern province being already parcheof^ by absence of rain. .There is now no*; reason why prime Otago sheep and lambs ■ should be sent to Canterbury freezing works for treatment and export, nor 'for,, Otago stock to be 6ent to Canterbury to> ' be fattened. Potatoes come under tha? heading; they show a reduction of 4436 acres in, area, bringing the extent of the crop down to the level of two and threa seasons ago, which, if disease is escaped 1 ,, should provide ample N for the requirements of the Dominion — an "export trade, nnfor- i tunately, is^not to be thought of. Beeti -has increased from 194 acres ,to 484 acres^ , the being almost entirely in~Can^ terbury and Hawke's Bay, and evidently - I due to increased use for stock-feeding, fit:' the dairying districts, Auckland and Tara-^ . naki, the crop is ' stationary, which fit ' rather 1 surprising, considering the goocl- ' results obtained at the* Government f arms >J in Waikato and Taranaki. In fact, tha 4 returns, afford little evidence of increased! -*' provision being made for stock in the; «j northern dairying districts, and this con-; ] t-kraes to be a weak Bpot< in the colony r ai -1 farming. • - '■> '