A PROSPEROUS DISTRICT.

Otago Witness, Issue 3019, 24 January 1912, Page 17

A PROSPEROUS DISTRICT.

ABUNDANCE OF FEED

A run through tho country north of Dunedin and up as far as Oamaru cannot, fail to impress even the casual observer with the enormous quantity of green food that is available and often apparently going to waste, and with the generally thriving condition of the country in strong contrast to its appearance a year or so ago.

From Dunedin right up to Oarnaru the country on all hands is looking splendid. There is an abundance of feed for stock —so much so, in fact, that some of it is going to waste as fanners have not the stock to keep in down. The grass is really too long for the sheep to do well on, and of a

nature too watery to enable the lambs to fatten readily, but cattle appear to bo ia first-class condition all the way along. The g-rain crops present a magnificent sight, being often level with the tops of the fences. They are heavy and give every indication of yielding well, though in places there are indications that the smalt birds are beginning, their depredations. It is noticeable, also, that the crops are much later than usual. The green crops, on the other hand, are more variable in character, for occasionally there may be seen a full crop of potatoes or of turnips almost meeting in the drills, and then in the very next farm a crop which has neither been thinned nor cleaned so much seems to have depended on tho season of the year in which it has been sown. Tho early part of tho season was extremely favourable, the land being in perfect order, and any crops sown then have so far given entirely satisfactory results. Following on this period of good weather come two months continuous rain, and crops sown immediately prior to that mivo made practically no progress, and remain unthinned and uucleaned in the drill. In some instances where a field has been cnly half sown with turnips or potatoes it is evident that projected operations hav« had to bo abandoned altogether on account of tho wet spell. Round about Oamaru itself the crop! are bettor than they have been for years, and it is a pleasure to see some ol tho fine heavy wheat fields. So far it i| standing on its feet all right, but in tha heavier ground there may bo seen an occasional patch borne down by the rain. Unlike the Palmerston and Waikouaiti districts the green crops also promise an abundant supply of feed for stock. The potatoes particularly cover tho ground very closely, and give every indication of yielding very heavy crops indeed, provided they escape the blight. Red and white clover is abundant, and more in evidence than usual. Throughout the district there seems to bo ample supplies of fodder for cattle and sheep. A considerable area of grass is being allowed to go to.seed, for ns stock is depleted tho farmer has no more to put on to it, while a considerable amount also, is being turned into hay and ensilage.