OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3336, 20 February 1918, Page 10

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

(Feom Oue Own Coerespondent.) UNTIMELY DOWNPOUR. All through harvest there have been those who have persistently prophesied a wet harvest, and they had some justification for then - somewhat triumphant " I told you so" when a very solid rain set in at the end of last week. All through the harvest .the weather has been of a catchy nature, and farmers have been worrying a good deal about the tendency towards rain almost 'every other day. It has been noted that as soon as tho weather took a northerly turn rain followed within a few houre. The beginning of the week was all that could be desired from the croppers' point of view. A nor'-westerly wind set in on Wednesday, which dried up the stooks admirably and put the grain in first-class order for stacking and stook thrashing Tho heat was oppressive and trying, but everyone was content to put up with it, as it was just the kind of weather that was required to put the stuff into capital condition. The following day was dull and drizzly, but stacking was continued, as the previous day had dried up the sheaves so effectually. However, early on Friday morning heavy rain commenced to fall, and it continued all that day and throughout the night and most of Saturday. In somelocalities the rain was very heavy, but the average would probably be about Tho air was cold, but there was no wind to speak of. On Saturday evening it was seen that tho worst was over, and. before midnight the stars were shining brightly. Sunday, however, was dull and cloudy, and as the glass was going down rapidly it wa? expected that a north-westerly breeze would spring up. A bright windy day would do a great deal towards undoing the damage caused by the rain, and would be most welcome. Rivers and creeks were in flood, and the land received a thorough soaking. • ■ A DELAYED HARVEST. It is difficult at the time of writing to say whether the rain has done any injury* to tho crops or not. In any case it will have caused several days' delay in stacking operations, that being tho work that now remains to bo done. '" Speaking generally, tho harvest is halfway through. Tho cutting for the most part is finished, and a pretty general commencement has been made .at leading in. Of course, there aro some who have finished, and some who have still some cutting to do, but for the most part stacking was the order of tho day. Even if drying weather sets in it will be the middle of the week before tho stuff will be in proper condition again. If cloudy and closo conditions prevail it is quite likely that there will be some sprouted grain in the province. In fact, I hear already that- some of the wheat has started. For tho next day or two everyone will bo busy righting up the stooks _ and picking up .the sheaves that are lying ..on the ground, as they will be tho first to grow. In some cases there is some spooking *to do, the rain having caught crop that had been cut and • left lying on tho ground. This should be put up as soon as possible, or it will soon sprout. It is not advisable to turn any stooks that are standing up well. An examination should show that they are perfectly dry on the inside, and by turning them thero will be a danger of the stuff getting worse than it is if more rain follows. The season is such an unreliable ono that this might easily happen. It was thought earlier in the harvest that tho wet summer might be followed by a dry autumn, but that has turned cut t( bo an erroneous impression, and it looks as if tho weather is going to remain catchy throughout. As soon as the stuff is dry it should be rushed together as quickly as possible, and everything else should be subordinated to the work of leading in. Some thrashing has »been done, and it must be reluctantly stated that on the whole thft rusuits aro disappointing. The crops vary a good deal, of course. Some, I hear, aro turning out at the rate of about 40 bushels an acre, but these will be few and far between. _lt is now anticipated that the average will hot bo more than 25 bushels an acre, and it is quite possible that it may be as low as 20 bushels. Some of the paddocks are npt worth reaping, and others will not do more than pay for the harvesting and thrashing. Tho late oats aro a complete failure. The straw has broken down, and the heads are on tho ground,-for no apparent reason except that the straw is weak and rotten. The rain has helped the stuff to go down; but it would have done so in any case. It is hard to explain why these spring-sown, crops should have given out in the way they have done, seeing that tho weather should have been all in their favour, being showery and growthy. In some cases the clover and weeds have grown up through tho crop, and is now smothering it. Attempts to reap some of these paddocks have failed, and the stock has been turned in. Some time ago it was thought that thero would be an abundance of oats in tho province for local requirements, but it now lcok3 as if thero will be a serious shortage. At any rate, those who have saved their early crops well are holding on with the intention of getting a higher price later on than that which is now being offered. One grower told mo that he had refused 3s 6d a bushel for a prime sample, though ho would have been prepared to take it some time ago. It is to bo hoped that the weather/ will now become set, so that the situation may get no worse As for tho spring wheat, it "is much the same caso as the late oats. It has not filled, and some of it will not bo reaped, though farmers say that they hate to leavo tho stuff on the ground. But the cost of Saving it is too great for the results, as harvesting and thrashing are now expensive items in the cost of production. If these crops were saved the grain would bo very second-rate fowl feed, and in some cases only about three heads out of four contain anything at all. All this is a very gloomy report of the state of thin&s, but it is a. correct one, and it is certain that tho Government price will not pay farmers this season. It is certain, also, that the area v'll be very much less next season unless the price is raised. Growers of wheat have had a disappointing timo for tho past four or five years, and they aro getting tired of the job, especially as tho breeder and fattcner of stock is getting such a good time comparatively speaking. Of course, patriotic considerations will always count with those who have wheat-growing land, and there will be some grain sown whatever the price and conditions aro; but the cropping fraternity aro now getting thoroughly

disheartened. The struggles this harvt st with straw that should have from 40 to 60 bushels an aer<?_ of wheat in it, and the tangled condition much of it is in, together with the weather and the r>oor - yield, to say nothing _of labour difficulties both before and during harvest, hav6 just about caused farmers to become "fed up" with the \vhole_ business. Patriotio considerations and patriotic considerations only will make farmers grow it freely in the future, no matter what the price may be. It is a feature for remark that the cloyer has not done so well for years as it (is doing this season; It may be seen in all the crops, making the stubble quite green even where there was no grassing down done. In paddocks where it was sown it appears to have taken possession, and in the aftermath, which came where hay had been saved, it is growing remarkably thickly and quickly. There will no doubt be a good deal of seed saved, but some of the crops are so heavy that they are going down, and they will not be fit for harvest even if the seed ripened, which it is not likely to do. I have remarked how it has taken possession of some of the wheat and oat crops, and that is an indication of how well it is growing where it is flourishing by itself. v LIVE STOCK.

Feed is everywhere plentiful to the point of overabundance. Some dry weather is required to harden the grass up, as the sheep aro scouring a good deal. Still, the stock are looking well. The only trouble is that there is not a sufficient number of sheep in the country. „ As a consequence stock is running up to almost fabulous prices. Wether store lambs aro reselling as high as 23s and 24s per head, and mixed sexes are going at 255. Good ewe lambs are realising as high as 27s 6d, and it is doubtful if they will stop at that figure. Young ewes are already bringing up to £2 per head, and the chances are all in favour of values mounting still higher under the present state of affairs." As far as store lambs are concerned for fattening purposes, they are nearly as dear as fat lambs. There can be no margin for the buyer at the prices that are 1 being paid. On the other hand, the seller is doing well, as ho would not make much more by fattening. It is considered by many breeders that it is quite a mistake to grow feed for fattening purposes when the prices that are now being given for stores aro in operation. The price of manure and seed and the many other charges that have increased so materially since the war started make the growing of artificial feed, a costly item. Still, someone has to do the finishing off, and _if wc all go out of the production of artificial feed wo may find that the price of stores will recede materially. The object that many farmers have now is to get as many lambs as possible off the mothers into the works. There is nothing that can pay as well as that plan, and there is no reason why it should not be more widely adopted r than it is at present. Crutching and weaning are now in full swing, and dipping has also commenced, it being realised that lambs will not do well until they aro rid of the parasites that trouble them. By the way, those who sold for forward delivery are now biting their finger-nails, as values have gone up several shillings a head since the deals were made a few months ago. I have never been able to understand why farmers will not see their stock and their produce through tho market's instead of selling to the speculator, who is bound to come out on the right side, or he could not continue in business. As a rule he reaps where he has not sown, and the producer is left lamenting. It is a form of gambling that should not appeal to the bona fide farmer. . .