THE SEASON'S GREEN CROPS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2913, 12 January 1910, Page 6

THE SEASON'S GREEN CROPS.

A notable feature in the agricultural statistics is the large increase of green crops in the Dominion of 40,500 acres for 1909, as compared with 1908, notwithstanding the. fact that turnips showed a decrease of 18,500 acres. This decrease in turnips is largely attributed to the persistent attacks of the aphis, which in maijy districts in New Zealand makes the growings of swede turnips in. dry seasons almost an impossibility, and farmers have in consequence been forced

|to look for substitutes. Rape, however, 1 I shows the very large increase over the previous season of 56,500 acres, and there i was also an increase in mangels and ' carrots. A point worth noting is that the area placed under rape is increasing every year, and particularly is this the case in Canterbury and the North Island. Farmers all over the Dominion are now beginning to realise that it is one of the best fodder crops for Jamb fattening, and under favourable circumstances and i conditions will give a larger crop in a I minimum time than almost any other j fodder plant. One of the chief advan- | tages of raps is the rapidity with which it can be grown. So far as mang'els are ■ concerned it is satisfactory to learn that they are receiving considerably more attention than in the past, and especially are they being more largely grown in Canterbury and Otago, the farmers in these provinces being aware of the value of mangels as a substitute for turnips, which, as already stated, are so liable to blight in dry seasons. Mangels are bound to come into more general use as a root crop, especially for dairying, from the fact of their being less subject to ; blight, and also their power of withstanding drought much longer than any variety of turnip crop; and, further, owing to their fine keeping qualities, they are better adapted for late winter and spring feeding. In addition to this, this mangel is the only root crop that can be stored for almost an indefinite period, and can therefore be used as provision for the time of the year (early spring) when there is a scarcity of pasture and when no other root crop is available. There are already signs that Otago is becoming more of a fattening province than in ‘ the past, so that we can hope that the time is not far distant when prime Otago sheep and lambs will be fattened in this province and shipped direct. Potatoes, which also come under the heading of green crops, showed an increase for last season of 2800 acres in area. The total area under potatoes last season is given at 30,000 acres, as compared with 27.200 acres in 1908. A large proportion of last j year’s crop was light in yield, and the disease unfortunately had been prevalent in several districts. The potato crop for this year promises on the whole to be a good one. We are sorry to note that reports from the North Island state that the blight is rather bad in several districts, owing no doubt to the damp season that has been experienced in the Wairarapa and Hawke’s Bay districts. So | far as Canterbury and Otago are con- ! cerned the blight does not appear to have made its appearance to any extent so far. and therefore the potato crop should amply provide for the requirements of the Dominion, but an export trade can hardly be looked for. The Government biologist states that no new diseases of potatoes were noted last year, but that the Irish potato blight has been fairlv general from Auckland to the Bluff, though the effect on the tubers has not been nearly so great as in previous years. Where spraying has been carried out. its : good effects have more than repaid the expenditure, and growers of potatoes must always look upon spraying as a safe and profitable investment. j