LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2913, 12 January 1910, Page 20

LOCAL A. AND P. NEWS.

Crops in th« Taieri, Tokomariro, and fcalolutha districts are well forward and looking remarkably well. Considerable areas are under wheat, and between Mil•burn and Milton several fields are ripening. Some oats on the high ground near Crichton will be ready for cutting in about a week. In many places the crops are very heavy, and small areas have been laid by the recent rains. Speaking generally, however, thoy are standing well, and everything points to an early and bountiful harvest. Late sown turnips have benefited greatly by the recent showers and are coming away well, and abundant pastures are visible everywhere.

The effects of the comparatively dry season which has been experienced of late are particularly "noticeable between Lovell's Flat and Benhar. Lake Tuakitoto has shrunk to the appearance of a river for a good deal of its length at the northern end, leaving hundreds of acres of rich pastures along the shore. have been fully availed of by farmers in the vicinity, and large areas which were under water a few months ago are? now the grazing ground for large herds of cattle and sheep. •The North Ota.go Times states that word has come from Benmore that a large number of sheep, running into several thousands, it is reported, have died on that station from blood poisoning. The sheep were taken into the shed to be shorn,' and on liberation began to die. Mr Kerrigan, one of the Government veterinarians, visited' the station to investigate the cause of death, and will report-to his department. Similar misadventures have oocurred in the North Otago district, but •it is several years since any heavy loss was sustained by sheepowners. It is understood that the cause of death is not necessarily associated with "wounds on the bodies of the shorn sheep, but it is a form of septicemia that may be contracted in other ways.

Some further cutting of oats took place during last "week (says the North Otago Times). The paddocks operated upon -were mainly duns sown early for winter feed, and eaten off by stock. These afterwards did well, and good yields are expected from them. Early sown Algerians have also done well this season pretty generally. At a crop of this variety has teen cut by Mr James Glenn that promises mi average of ?0 bushels per acre, and at Windsor Mr A. Kennedy has a paddock in stock that authorities say will give a vickl of fully 70 bushels per iicre. The late oats, however, are generally light, and as these constitute the bulk of the sowing the average yidd for the county will be below the average. The rains exper' v during the last few days have improve, the wheat prospects to some extent. Wherever the rain fell there has been a welcome change in the appearance of the wheat fields, and if further rains come soon the late wheat, which was wearing the worst look, -will turn out better than was expected a few days ago, but still the official estimate of 37 bushels per acre will fall a lowg way eff realisation. After being froe from the ravages of the Hessian fly for a number of years, some farmers on the southern end of the Tokomairiro Plain have found signs of it amongst their wheat For many years after the first outbreak of this pest Tuscan wheat was grown, but, thinking the district thoroughly immune, other varieties of wheat have been grown. If the fly spreads to some of the fine fields the results will be disastrous.

T.he hailstorm which fell over a portion of the Waikakahi Settlement on New •Year's Eve was a disastrous one for a number of farmers. The Oamaru Mail states that several fields which formerly gave promise of great yield'were almost completely threshed oui. "One farmer who was expecting between- 40 and 50 bushels from his wheat has had his anticipations reduced to two bushels; while another wnose expectations were for 40 will now have to be satisfied with about eight. On Friday a paddock of cats was cut that under ordinary circumstances would have yielded 35 fcushels, but so completely have threshing Operations been anticipated that the yield for commercial purposes will be about five •fcushels per acre. These are only typical cases, the experience of a large number ot farmers having been along similar lines. .Orchards were" also • subjected ; to much clamage, while windows were broken in all directions. Some of the hailstone's, it is Stated, measured 2£in |,J : The engineer of the Taieri: Drainage Board reported to this week's meeting of that body that the crops in the West JTaieri district were in a very satisfactory condition. This, he claimed, was duo in « measure to the drains having been cleaned and the water kept down. At the eame time the season generally had been a very favourabe one. The survey of Orari Gorge Estate has Kw been completed for settlement, and i Commissioner of Lands .will : .visit it tor the purpose of fixing values, .The ballot will probably be got off next -month. -■ , Owing to thle cold winds pWTtelen* fears the Taieri Advocate); the district is free eo far from potato blight, and crops Ire reported to be looking remrakably well. It is no* eafe to .predict ; what the Aext few weeks may bring to,alter t-ne prospects of the potato harvest. Farmers eeemT disinclined to resort to the: labour «id expense of • eprwymg', preferring to

trust to.luck and dry weather, which arc uncertain in dispensing favours. The present season will be a record ono for the Mataura and Tuturau dairy factories. At present an. average of about 4500 gallons of milk is being- received at the Mataura factory, while the daily average at Tuturua is about 650 gallons. Up to the end of last month the amount of milk received, by the Mataura factory was 367,464 gallons, as against 256,397 gallons for the same period of last year. The amount of Cash paid to suppliers to date is £5526, compared with £4756 last season, while the cheese made this year amounts to 367,2261 bin comparison to 267,2221 b last year. At Tuturau the amount of milk received up to the end of the year being something like 71,544 gallons, "as against 58,136 gallons for the same period of last year. The sum of £1056 has so ' far been paid away to suppliers, compared with £829 last season. The cheese turned out this season has reached about 68.7811 b, while last seasonis output for the same period was 53,88a1b. The same price is being paid for butterfat this year as last ye'ar—viz., 10a. The balance of the output of this factory was solid the other day at a satisfactory figure. The subdivision of Ermedale Estatqj which was acquired by the Government for closer settlement some few months ago, has been cut <up into smaller areas by Mr M'Pherson, surveyor, and will shortlv be opened for settlement. The land (says the Western Star) is suitable for dairying, and no doubt in the course of a year or two a new factory will probably be erected in the vicinity. The matter of fixing on a suitable site has delayed the establishment of a dairy factory at Wreys Bush for the present season. A similar fate is likely to overtake the proposed dairy factory at Waiau, owing to similar reasons. The wool clip of this season promises to constitue a record, as well over 23,000,000 sheep will be shorn, not counting lambs. Owing to the difficulty in making satisfactory arrangements for the shipment of butter from Gisborne, its institution as a butter grading port has been allowed to fall through this season.