SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3335, 13 February 1918, Page 10

SOUTHLAND AGRICULTURAL NOTES.

(From Our Own Cohrespondent.) All through tho period embracing the earlier part of this month the weather has been broken, but particularly fine growing weather. It is generally allowed that 'the best growing weather in Southland is before Christmas and up till the end. of January. It is often hot in February, and everything gets dried up and the grass loses some of its succulence. This season seems to bo establishing a different' reputation. It has been showery, sultry, and warm, and even the grass seems to have taken a fresh start. It is, however, most noticeable in turnip crops and young grass. Tho turnips have made an almost phenomenal growth, and any crops seemingly hanging back have, if not seen by anyone for about a week, become almost unrecognisable. Just a very short time ago it was quite a common observation to be heard anywhere that the turnip crop looked very much better at this time last year; but amazement at the rapid progress made in such a brief period is given expression to in at least a tone of deep satisfaction. So much depends upon an ample supply of winter feed that it is pleasing to observe how this appears to be almost within sight. So well in general are the turnips now looking in many cases that one would think they are too thick; but this is not so. The crops of both wh : te and yellow fleshed turnips, as also swedes, should satisfy the most fastidious. I think it may bo taken for granted that the people of Otago and Southland generally do not experience failures in either oat or turnip crops if they attend to putting them in in reasonable time and with proper cultivation. It may happen that a spell of unfavourable weather may occur at a critical period, and crops be thereby delayed in sowing, and not get .the full benefit of a period of rapid growth. That does not happen every season, but only occasionally. The season has been a very tedious one for the grass-seed harvest, and not very favourable for thrashing out of the stook, and until juet "very recently very much had been exposed for a very long period. There has been more cut for seed than most people had any idea of. Nothing has been heard, so far as I know, about a scarcity of bags and 'the wages for harvesters, and the rates of thrashing have by the aid or medium of farmers' unions, been fixed and amicably settled. Everything, without exception, seems to have gone up, and the high prices paid for produce and stock of all kinds enables farmers to meet all engagements; but the hardships caused through the scarcity of labour and prices of manures, and the difficulty of obtaining material and necessary requirements is telling. Those who were in a position to take advantage of the great rise in prices without having to incur extra expenses on the outlay for material *md labour have done well. Undoubtedly there are those who have not been in the same position to do so, and are not doing so well. Those who have been depending largely upon stock and wool, and whose 'general expenses have not been much increased, are reaping the greatest benefit from 'the present state of affairs, and some also in dairying- have not much to complain of. . ' The dairying community is beginning to fear an accumulation of stocks from the want of shipping. What has been got away has to some extent eased the position; but the cool stores are getting quite full up, and factories may not get the full' benefit of .the stores, and have to case as much of the cheese as they can, leaving it in the factory and on the shelves. It is currently reported that, although the Prime Minister was at one time assured there would be ships available for February, changed conditions have dashed all such prospects to the ground, and February will •bo very disappointing. If it is the case that everything has been cleared out m Australia we will in 'time get our produce better away, but meantime must, with as good a grace as possible, face tho position. If tho block is. such that the Government cannot take tiie cheese and butter off the hands of the factories, the advance cannot be made, and as the Government canno't give any guarantee for such, tho producers may have to lie out of their cheques for a period. One wonders to what extent tho American transport is responsible for the position. If it will favourably affect the great issues at stake wo must, from a spirit of true patriotism, grin and bear it. Those who have this year held any of last season's oats over in expectation of an increase in price, and even getting a fabulously high price, must now feel very much disappointed. The new crop, even if fully secured, is not going to be a heavy one, and tho price may open fairly good and continue so; but the quantity available will be sufficient to meet all requirements, and excessively big prices ought not to be expected. In some highly-favoured localities there are some heavy crops—so heavy that it will only be possible to cut 'them one way; but, taken all over, there will be a great many crops not difficult to handle. There will be a very considerable number of light crops, and, being short in the straw, the chaff marke't may be proportionatelv higher. When, all through the summer, tho rows can be distinctly seen it is not because the crop has been too thinly sown, but Ht has no't stoohd or tillered out sufficiently to yield well, whereas a well-grown crop not only looks thicker in the ground, and always is so. Harvesting will be very general in February. Crops early enough put in are either rip and ready for cutting and, in many cases, being harvested, or well advanced. Even those sown later are turning rapidly. Tho winter-sown has been all dealt with, and if any such is still in the stook it mav be becauso it has been left out to be thrashed out of the stook, with tho idea of saving labour in handbng. Late-sown crops, even on what was turnip ground, arc in many cases fairly green, so that the harvesting will stretch through a fairly lengthened period, which will bo helpful with the scarcity of labour. There will bo more co-operation than has been tho case for many years. The wheat, though not exceptionally heavy anywhere, but just a fair average, is rapidly turning, and some crops of wheat may also bo harvested in February, and in no district will it be a lato harvest for wheat.