AGRICULTURE IN NORTH OTAGO.

Otago Witness, Issue 3112, 5 November 1913, Page 20

AGRICULTURE IN NORTH OTAGO.

(From Our Special Correspondent.) OAMARU, November 1. Matters agricultural wear a very promising appearance in North Otago at present. A few days ago the same thing could not have been said with any degree of confidence. Two months of <ll7 weather, with frequent variations of temperature, culminated at the beginning of this week in hot and strong winds, leaving verdure in a distressed condition. Happily, however, the trying winds and heat were succeeded by nice, refreshing rains, very nearly an inch of rainfall having been recorded. Drooping vegetation has been revived, and a stimulus will be given to growth of both cereals and grass. This was much needed, for growth lias been very backward, things generally being about a month behind the stage usuallv looked for at the end of October. However, the ground has acquired both warmth and moisture, and vegetation will become more active. Though grass has not hitherto made much growth, there has been no shortage of feed, except where the grass grub—which has been more prevalent in the district than for many years past—had denuded the pastures. In many instances the pest has destroyed the roots of grass and clover, and « number 1 of farmers nave been under the necessity of ploughing up and resowing paddocks, while a good deal of surface-sowing has had to be done. Inquiries made by me in all parts of North Otago disclose the fact that the icuil area under cereals is somewhat below the total of last year. That means that the area under cereals in North Otago is the smallest that has been known for a great many years. An increased extent of land been sown with oats, but this is more than counterbalanced by the falling off of the area under wheat. Barley is never grown to any extent in this district, and this year i total, if anything, is slightly less than that of last year. So far the cereal crops.

though short of growth, -have., stooled out pretty well, arid wear a healthy appearance. With helpful rains during the next couple of months the results should be eminently satisfactory, for the ground was in good heart to begin with. C The season has been a very- unsatisfactory one for potato-growers. The yields from a very big area were good, but growers, imbued with an erroneous belief that a demand would arise in Australia, and that big prices would bo obtainable, refused to sell earlier in the season, and have found themselves at the end of the season with heavy stocks, for which there is a very limited demand at unremunerative prices. What will be done with all the unsold and unsaleable potatoes is the Euzzle ? To some extent it is being solved y planting upon a very liberal-scale, and the result will be that the area under potatoes in North Otago will exceed anything previously recorded in the distirct. ■ The early potatoes, of which there is full; area, are looking very well, and promise -to do well, it will, however, be some time before lifting on any scale will be entered upon. A few new potatoes have reached the shops, but these are from small plots in favoured situations.

Though the lambing was good, taking into, account the large proportion of young ewes, the final results are not likely to reach expectations. A number of farmers have good returns, but others have sustained considerable losses through deaths due to some unascertained cause. Lambs that at night looked well and strong have been found dead in the morning, and the most singular thing about it is that the deaths have occurred among the best lambs. Examinations made by veterinarics have failed to disclose the cause, and no remedy has consequently been available. A few farmers have suffered very heavily, and I have hard of cases in which the deaths reached 20 per cent, of the whole of the lambs on a farm. • ' -

The dairying season has started remarkably well. At both the Oamaru factories the output last, month was a good way in advance of the total for the corresponding month of last year, and that, it may be mentioned, constituted an October record. The milk supply is going up in a very marked manner, and the season promises to be a record one for North Otago. Farmers are now busy getting in or preparing fqr sowing rape and turnips and other root crops. Present indications are that the area under these crops will be much larger than usual. , v , The work of getting things into order for the coming season is progressing well at the Christchurch Meat Company’s new works at Pukeuri. It is confidently anticipated that the works, which are on a complete and thoroughly up-to-date scale, will be ready to commence operations before Christmas.