OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3278, 10 January 1917, Page 10

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

(Fbojj Oub Own CoBBEsroNDENT.) A DRY NEW YEAR. Tho beginning of 1917 will be remembered for years to como among agriculturists as a very dry period—the third in succession. Indeed/ it is believed by many farmers that, as far as the crops arc concerned, this season promises to be worse in some respects than the two when preceded it. A couple of months ago wc believed that a good season was assured. Tho rainfall up to that time had been well up to tho average. Of course, it varied according to locality, but, roughly speaking, it worked out at about 25m for the year on places a few miles inland. On tho hills the rainfall was a great deal heavier. In somo cases it was nearly 4-Uin; but, taking- a fair stretch of country along the plains and on the downs, 25in was about tho average quantity registered. _ This, spread over tho year in anything like an even distribution, should be more than sufficient for our requirements. Unfortunately during the past two months practically no rain fell except along the foothills. On the plains something between 40 and 50 points were registered dining December ; and, to mako mutters worse, in the last few weeks of tho old year, and in the new year so far, the sun has shone eo fiercely that tho country has become parched up worse than it was at this time last year. Tho heat has been most trying, both on vegetable and animal life. At times it has been almost unbearable, and made somo of us wonder how our boys in Egypt can exist under the terribly hot conditions that must prevail there during the summer months. We clo get a cool breeze nearly every evening, and occasionally a change, a cloudy sky and a cold wind, will enable us_ to recover somo of our evaporated energies; but what must tho troops in Egypt have to boar each and every day during tho hot season, with a cruelly hot sun beating down on them each and every day. I don't think I have ever seen sheep so persistently seek cover as they have done while the sun has been shining in tho last few weeks. Any attempt to move them in the middle of tho day m -ant a lot of hard work and very little result. The dogs quickly knock up those hot days, and heart when they find the sheep, in spite of all their efforts, move only a few paces and then stand still with their heads_ to the ground, or else lie down in a panting condition. I have found that the best help at such times is a kerosene or a petrol tin with a few stones in it. Rattle tho tin, md the sheep will run as if old Nick were after them. If the mob is going in the wrong direction, shy tho tin along the ground, and it will bo found that a pack of dogs will not get such good results. A friend of mine discovered s for himself the. uses of tins for driving sheep quite by accident. He was trying without avail to get a mob across a creek. Suddenly some of tho sheep ran over a petrol tin lying at tho side of the road. At once tnero was a scamper, and a few of tho animals found themsevos in their panic on the other side of the stream. The water was a secondary consideration when there was something behind them making an unenrthy rattle. In yarclincr \ip or drafting commend me to a tin with a few stones, in it if the sheep are at all slow in moving. Dogs suffer severely hot rlava unless is water that they can constantly reach.

CROP PROSPECTS. To return to tho drought and its effect upon the country. I am afraid that the position, has become a very serious one. A couple of months ago there seemed to be a possbility of the average yield being surpassed. It would all be needed to feed our people during the ensuing 12 months, peeing that the estimated area was some 218.000 acres. With a 30-bnshel crop we might manage to scrape through; but we cannot now depend on a yield of more than 25 bushels, taking tho crops all round. The winter-sown crops in some localities, particularly near the hills, will go over that. They will average, porhops. 30 bushels per acre; but the spring sowings will nowhere go more than 20 bushels. Tim northern part of the province has felt tho drought the worst. From Ashburton to Christen urch. from the sea to far beyond the railway line ■nland. the state of the country is probably worse than it was last season, and that is saving a good deal. On the other hand. Methvon -and districts similarly situated, are holding out very well, a few nor'-west showers earlier in the season having saved Hi" situation to a considerable extent. However, tho drought is daily advancing towards tiii hills, and the country i* now bnrnt-up as far as the eyes can reach. As I have stated, the sprinsr-sown crops are scarcely worth reaping. To make matters worse, rust is claiming a good portion of the crops, especially late oafs and -wheat. And frost has ae/ain taken a birr toll in some of the North Canterbury localities. It. \s doubtful if there will be sufficient oats to meet all requirements, as these crops are nracti-c-illv a failure owin.r to dromrht and rust. They are worse than thev ww Inst year, in snite of the heavier rainfall. To mike matters it is reported that in the south there is not the same nrea undei oafs as is usuallv the ease. And thev are taVfemnr of a drought down there a''so. in vhieh the crops are languishinc. The only rood point about the matter is that there will not **c tpucli straw to handle, and the li hour difficulty wi'l not bo so e-reat in oneneo. T> was tbonorht at ope time that mvlncf to the faef fh<vt n great dent of u'reen feed went in last autumn for sheep feed. «i,..,.~ \i-onld he an river-supply of oats rM« season, because grass came away well in the spring. Such is not the case, ane? we

arc threat(*ned with an undcr-supply of oats ■is well as of wheat

A good deal of speculation is being indulged in regarding the rice to be paid by the Government for t.ie new season's wheat. It is not expected that the price asked for by the recent conference — namely, 6s 3d a bushel —will be given. It must bo remembered that, after all, thatsum was only a basis round which bargaining could take place. It was only asked for in the case of the primest milling quality, probably 10 per cent. _of the total production. For some qualities the values might go down as low as 6s 9d a bushel, and the average would probably bo somewhere in the neighbourhood of 6s a bushel, not a great deal too much these times. As a matter of fact, last year's crop was grown at a loss, and the consumer ate his bread for the major portion of the year below the cost of production as far as the farmer was concerned. This season the average . yields will again be low and it is probable that, even at 6s a bushel, there would be a loss to the grower, seeing that, from first to last, it costs about £'J an acre to grow a crop of wheat now- that everything has gone up in price, fixing a price for the period of the war. and the season after, is a big bit of speculation, as no one knows what the cost of production, including labour, might increase to before the war is over. Complete organisation is wanted, and the question of manufacture and distribution mustbe thoroughly gone into if the price of bread is to be kept down to a minimum. It gives food for reflection when it is realised that about 50 per cent, of the price of the loaf is added after the farmer delivers his wheat to the mill. It takes the grower from at least one year on an average to produce the wheat, and in a great number of oases quite a year and a-half. It is rumoured that the Government is going to offer 5s a bushel for the new wheat. It is not sufficient, of course, and although some farmers might go on growing it for that sum, there will be many more who will drop out of the business, as they are confident that there can be nothing "in it at that figure. In fact, the 6s 3d decided upon by the conference was fixed with some idea of _ inducing farmers to continue wheat-growing, even though there appeared to be many difficulties in the way, the chief of them being efficient labour to work the teams and to get the harvest in.

STOCK NOTES. At present stock is everywhere doing well, though the feed will not hang out much longer unless rain comes. The position from, the grazier's point of view is better than it was last year owing to the fact that the paddocks contain a great deal of rough food this season. The grass quickly ran up to seed, and the seed stalks are still there, though they have dried up, except on the shady sidings. If water is available animals will do fairly well on this dry feed. On some of the small grazing runs white clover has come away splendidly on the shady side of the ridges, and there is in consequence an abundance of good feed. Further back, on the Mackenzie Plains, there has been too much dry weather, though stock is still looking well. There seems to be any quantity of feed available at present; most farmers arc understocked; some have no sheep at all, and consequently grazing can be had fairly reasonably. How long that condition of affairs will last is problematical. The rape will not stand much feeding, and the turnip crop cannot now be anything like as good as it was, last year. In many cases farmers have not cared to commit their seed to the ground, and where the drilling has boon done the result is anything but promising. Even where the turnips have made a start, it is by no means certain that they will do any good unless rain comes. The stock markets have weakened a good deal lately owing to the uncertainty of the future. Thoso who bought heavily for forward delivery must be hay nit rather an anxious time. The works have opened, and no doubt as manv lambs as possible will bo rushed in off the mothers. Stubble feed will bo a negligible quantity, most of the crops being very free of undergrowth. After harvest there will again be a big rush to put in green feed, and the harvest being an early one, there will bo a good deal of green stuff available before winter if we get some autumn rains.

BUTTER AMD CHEESE MARKET. Tho National Mortgage and Agency Co. of Now Zealand (Ltd.), is in receipt of the following cablegram from Messrs Mills and Sparrow, London : —"New Zealand butter, about 4s lower, tendency easier; Australian clean lard, 955; pigs, 10(1."