OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3413, 13 August 1919, Page 12

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

(Feom Oxje Own Correspondent.) THROUGH THE WORST. We are now through the worst of the winter, and the worst has not been very bad. On the contrary, the winter has been remarkably good—better than we expected after all the gloomy prophecies we had to listen to before the season began. In some portions of the back country there has been a good deal of snow; but as far as I can learn no damage worth mentioning has been done, and owners may congratulate themselves upon having come through so well. . The position would have been serious but for several days' thaw, which effectually melted the snow except on the high levels, where there were no sheep. # In portions of the Mackenzie Country there was as much "as 3ft of snow, and matters looked very black in those parts for a week or two. Snow-raking was in and the work was most unpleasant owing to the fact that there had been two falls, and the one had frozen before the second came. There were therefore two crusts to break through, and the sheep were effectually penned in. The weather changed to the nor'-west, and the wind and the rain combined drove the snow away, so that the ehoep could get out and procure feed. Those that were in bad positions were moved to warmer country. There have been one or two slight falls since, but they did not inconvenience the stock materially. Just now the hills are covered with snow, but there is plenty of clear country on the foot downs. The sun is getting stronger each day, and the sunny facings soon clear. Indeed, the weather could not be finer. A heavy rain at the beginning of last week was followed by sharp, frosts and sunny days, and though these hindered growth there was in the middle of the day a distinct feeling of spring. The buds are swelling and the bulbs in the gardens are showing up. The blackbirds and the thrushes are very musical, and the grass on the sunny slopes is showing a little green, and so are the crops. Another fortnight should see a definite start in spring growth. . , , August is a very changeable month as a rule. A few fine spring-like days may be followed by a fall of enow on the higher levels and a very cold turn on the lower country, reminding one very forcibly of the middle of winter. However, cold conditions cannot last very long, and though we are not yet out of the wood, we are fairly safe in saying that there is not now a great deal of danger to be apprehended. FARM CONDITIONS. recent rains have made the land too wet to work just at present, but farmers feel that the land should have a good soaking before the summer commences. There has not been a great deal of rain during the winter. The fall at the beginning of July was the heaviest, and at the most it did not register more than 3in on the average. Since then the weather has been fairly dry, with just sufficient moisture to keep the land wet on the top. The subsoil is now fairly moist, and a few showers through the spring should keep us going. A little later on we may expect nor'-west winds, and when they come some rain Will be necessary to keep the surface of tho land from baking up. In the meantime clear weather is needed in order -that the spring work may be pushed on. The ploughing is well forward. On some farms it is completed, and the teams are now waiting till the land gets dry enough for the cultivating implements and the drill. It is worse than useless doing anything, till the land is dry enough. If the harrows and the drill will not run freely through the land they should be left in tho implement shed. Most of the lea land that is to come under the plough is now turned over both for cereals and for root and forage crops. Some of the ground that was in roots this season remains to be ploughed, but that can only be done when the turnips are all eaten off, and when the land gets dry enough. Some of this ground will go into wheat and oats and some into rape. Tt looks as if the wheat area is going to sljow another reducation this year. There are a great many sheep in the country that have to be kept over the spring and the early summer. The position at the freezing works is anything but reassuring, and the shipping position is bad. Although most wheat-growers oame out of the matter in good stylo last year because the crops were good and tho prices payable, there is not much confidence in the future of wheat, and farmers are_ not _ keen _ to touch it. Sheep are rising in price < rapidly, and that may keep some from buying who are short of stock; but the majority of farmers have more animals on hand than usual, because of the inability to get all the fats away last season. Labour is ' still dear and uncertain, and the cost of everything in connection -with tho production of wheat is still going up. The stock has come through the winter very well on the whole, but green feed will have to be grown for the wethers and hoggets that were not frozen last season, and the wheat will come in for second place. During > the autumn < a good many oats were put in with the intention of feeding them down in the spring and then letting them go to a crop, if possible; and more oats are now going in with the

same idea. There is also a desire to put in moro rap© than usual in October, and, as far as I can judge, there will be a larger area than usual go into turnips in tho summer. Farmers are realising thai the land intended for turnips should bo ploughed in the winter, and, luckily, the weather lias allowed a good deal of land for roots to bo turned up to the frost and rain. It is a pity that the wheat industry should bo getting gradually into the background, but farmers are not willing to go in for it extensively under the present condition of affairs. The dairying industry, too, is getting a hold in Canterbury, and much of the heavy land near the coast that was devoted to wheat-growing in the past is mow being cut up into dairy farms, some of it by the Government, though more' might have been done by the State in that direction. In some cases the land that was offered at a price to the Government has risen pounds an acre since that time, and, unfortunately, 6ome of it has been snapped up by men who already held enough land to make a comfortable living from. Indeed, there is a good deal of aggregation going oh both in the heavy lands and the pastoral country. It must be acknowledged, however, that it is in the sheep country that the worst feature of the evil exists. Where wheat is gong to be put in, the sooner it is sown the better, provided that the land is fit. If it can be all drilled by the end of this month so much the better. That leaves next month for the oat-sowing. Where wheat is produced it always gets ths preference in the time of sowing, and sometimes the drilling of tho oats is pushed right into October. It then stands little chance if the weather should turn out to be dry. It is necessary to get the oats in during next month at the latest, in order that they may get a firm hold before the dry weather sets in. It is rarely that we pass through a spring in Canterbury withou a few weeks of dry weather that punish the crops unless they have got a good hold. It should bo the object of every farmer to have his wheat showing through the ground at the end of this month or the beginning of September; and the oats in, too, or just about to be drilled. Manure should be put with all spring- crops, and the seeding in both wheat and oats should not be less than two bushels, because the spring sowings do not tiller out like the autumn sowingß. And the seed should be dressed without fail for smut, even though it may appear to be quite healthy. Bluestorfe or formalin should be used. If grass ?eed is to be sown with tho crop it should go in at the same time as the seed. Most drills have seed box-£s mounted' in front so that the one operatidfa will sow both cereal and grass and manure: The crops that were sown in the winter and the autumn are now beginning to show up. They are a little patchy in places, but on the whole they are looking promising. As soon as they lose their wintered appearance they will present a more hopeful app<? arance than they do just now. LIVE STOCK. A great many of our sheep have had to get through the winter without turnips this season, and it is just as well that th». weather has been fairly good. Where root* have been procurable the sheep certainly look the better for it, and a comparison show that it is worth while to grow roots for the winter, and to go to a good deal of trouble to secure a supply. The turnips that are available are being husbanded very carefully. The sheep are not allowed on more than two or three hours a day in many cases, and when wet weather comes they are shut off altogether. The sheila are' being grubbed up when conditions permit. This not only makes the most of the turnips, but it also improves the land for any crop that may come after. It helpe to keep the land from baking so much on the surface when the drying winds com©, and it checks the weeds to some extent In some oases the roots are being carted out to the sheep on to the grass paddocks, and this is the most saving method of all. Mangolds are specially suitable for carting out, and ewes do very well on them. Mangolds have become so important .a crop that it is to be* hoped that an endeavour will be made wherever possible tp put in as many as can be managed. They take a good deal of work, but they are very nutritious, especially at this time of the year. They stand the drought better than turnips, and they are not subject to blight. They should be put in fairly early. The first sowings should be made next month, though the main crop may be left till sometime in October. The clip of wool should be a good one this shearing. There has been no severe weather to hinder its growth except in parts of the back country, and there is no doubt that some of the flocks will show a break. There has been little mud about, and the "wool should be not only well grown but clean and bright. As I have stated, the price of stock is going up all along the line, and_ there appears to be a speculative spiiit abroadEven some of those who were to have been bitten by the forward buying that was indulged in last year are again buying extensively, showing that they at any rate have confidence in the future.