OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3250, 28 June 1916, Page 12

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

(Feoai Our Own Cokeesfon - den-t.)

A SOLID LAIN

Some fine mild weather has come our way since i sent you my last budget. Quite unseasonable at "times has been the mildness of the air. The snow which fell on tho ranges at the end of last month practically all disappeared, except from the high peaks. The laud dried up nicely, and fears began to be again entertained in some quarters that we were not going to have sufficient rain this winter alter all. A change came, however, on the evening of the 20th, and lor -24- hours rain fell very solidly indeed. From 2in to 3in were registered, and, the ground being already fairiy damp, a good deal of it ran into the creeks and dams, all of which were tilled to overflowing. alio small creeks seemed to rise higher than the rivers in proportion, and in some country districts mail deliveries by motor car were held up on account of the flooded state of tho roads. Such a thing has not-happened for the past two and a-half years. Low-lying ground was flooded, and on the ploughed paddocks the debris along the water courses show that a considerable rush of water had to be carried away in a short time. Luckily the weather was cxtrtmely mild, and little or no snow fell on the higher levels, though it was foretold by the weather prophets, of whom we have several. Showers ft? 11 on Saturday last, but they were only of short duration, and on Sunday tho weather again showed signs of clearing. FARM OPERATIONS. Each rain now brings an unusual amount of mud about the yards, particularly where horses and cattle frequent. The spots where shingle should be put down are now very much in evidence. I think that if some of our men who recently found fault with the muddy conditions at Fcathcrston at the beginning of the month, when heavy rains fell there, had to wade about some of our farm yards, they would agree that there are worse' places than military camps for mud. The fact of the matter is that we have been immune for so long a time from unpleasant conditions that we take unkindly to them now. However, we all agree that it is well to have tho rains in the proper season. The dry weather is the more pleasant to live and work in, but another year of it would be absolutely disastrous to tho farming community. The soaking we have just had should put things right for a considerable time to come,

In tho meantime the grass is growing splendidly. The country from the Hurunui down to the Rangitata ie wonderfully green for the time of the year. The ground is evidently still retaining some of the warmth it received during the past two seasons of drought, and as no frosts worth mentioning have been experienced there has been nothing to hinder growth. Rape, for instance, is putting on marvellous second growth, and green feed is apparently racing away from the stock. South of the Rangitata River the country does not look so well, perhaps because it got such a gruelling last summer. Rut it should do extremely well next season, as plant life is sure to get a good start m the spring after these rains. There is sure to be some 2nore rain to follow, new that tho weather, has broken.

A good deal of grain drilling has boon done since the beginning of the month, the ground having sufficiently dried up to allow that important operation to proceed. It is not at all probable that there will bo any further drilling done till the spring, the ground being too wet for that purpose and the season too lato. The crops that were sown earlier have made a splendid growth, and promise exceedingly well. Team work is practically at a standstill for the time being, except for carting jobs about the farm and on the roads. However, those who have grass land to turn over will not require to keep their horses out of the yoke for more than a day or two. In the mean time a good deal of squaring up and tidying work is being done, about the farms, and fence repairing and gorsc work is being put in hand. There is a pretty general complaint regarding the scarcity of farm hands. Anyone who has accommodation for a married couple is fortunate, for it is only married men who are now available. The fow r exceptions will get into the ranks as soon as they can manage to do so. from what I can hear. Of course, there will be a proportion who will not prove medically fit for active service, but the future is being viewed with a considerable amount of foreboding by farmers. I was amused at the recital of his grievance by a public-house keeper the other day. who was bewailing the fact that it was impossible to procure barmen and porters these days. He thought his condition was a very hard one. How about the farmer, who finds that there is a risk of a decline in the production of absolute necessaries owing to the growing shortage in the numbers of available men. Farmers are undoubtedly making the best of a bad job, and by long hours, thorough organisation, and a determination to assist in the Empire struggle both with men and produce. I found a couple of young fellows tho other day bewailing their hard luck because the rain had stopped them from pushing on with their potato-digging. As soon as they were through with the job they would enlist. The crop was their first venture in life, and tiny had to see it out of the ground and on to the market before they left, in order that they might be able to square up with their creditors. They had another piece of ground already skimmed and worked up ready for sowing in the spring. They were saving seed out of the nrcsent crop. They wore looking round for a competent farmer neighbour to undertake tho putting in of ihi'. seed, but found it very difficult to find any willing to undertake that responsibility. That should not have heen so. AMONG THE STOCK.

The season for fat lambs is now almost over. During tho past month tlio youngsters have not done at all well on the turnips. Their teeth seem to be disappearing much earlier than usual, and, though tho turnips seem all right to look at, they must be lacking in quality. The sot-hack they received in tho early autumn must be responsible in some measure for this. However, farmers arc not worrying a great deal. Feed promises to bo fairly plentiful, and sheep aro undoubtedly very scarce. The

fact that wo are now getting well into winter,, that feed is still growing, that there is still a considerable quantity of turnips available, and that there will not be sufficient sheep to satisfy everyone in the spring is making farmers quite easy in their minds as regards the future. In fact many of them refuse to sell their lambs as fats if they are light in weight, because they can get more for them as tores, particularly the ewe lambs. Good wither lambs, forward in condition, are bringing up to ISs apiece, while decent ewe lambs can command £.'. a head in almost any market. They will cut good fleeces, ami at any time after shearing or in the autumn will

sell well. To show how scarce and dear sheep are one has only to state that 9000 two-tooth ewes are being sold at 32s 6d. Li fact, as I write everything is on the rise. Wheat is going up, so are oats, potatoes, and sheep. Those who failed to buy during the autumn on account of the hot prices will find, the market grow a good deal warmer as time advances. The sheep are not in the country. It looks at present as if sheep are going to be dear and feed cheap. A great deal of d : seuss!on goes on wherever farmers congregate concerning the best kind of sheep to go in for. The English Leeester, I find, is nearly going out of favour. Tho Border Leicester holds the pride of place at present, but tho Romney is rapidly overtaking him in the estimation of sheep-breeders and fatteners. Tho English Leicester seems to be deteriorating. He is not the sheep he was 10 years ago. The Romney, on the other hand, is rapidly improving his pos : tion in the public estimation, lie is a better sheep than he was. 1 To is better ribbed-up, better sprung, more masculine and shapely in appearance. On land that is usually cold and' wet. inclined to produce a rough coarse herbage, the Romney :s far and away ahead of any other breed. He doc t ~ not get foot-rot. he curies a good payable fleece, and the lambing percentage among the ewes are good. Anyone who has several breeds of sheep on his farm will find that in a cold, wet time the Romney is about the only breed that does not develop a cough and does not begin to_ scour. On the foothills the Romney is do'ng splendidly, withstanding the rains and fogs admirably. Tho Corriedale, I am afraid, will never be found so satisfactory, though it is wonderful what careful breeding and culling will do in the course of a few years. The Romney itself is a case in point. I think that Canterbury must bo (he only province in Now Zealand where the Konraov has not already got the upper hand; but I am open to correct;on on that point. Dairy cows are doing fairly well. They have been lucky in having the green feed put in for them come away so well and continue growing for a lengthy period. For good milk and butter, commend me to that produced by cows receiving a daily allowance of green feed —oats rve, or Capo barley.