OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

Otago Witness, Issue 3509, 14 June 1921, Page 11

OUR CANTERBURY AGRICULTURAL BUDGET.

(From Oub Own Coiuiksi'ondkn-t ) A FINE WINTER. The weather is all that can be desired, although farmers are still hoping for a good shower to make the problem of dealing agriculturally with the land a little easier than it is at present. The pleasant weather we have experienced for so long has been a great help to stock during a time of exceptional dearth of grass in the paddocks. It is true that keen frosts are even now of almost nightly occurrence, but the land is dry, and conditions are otherwise very comfortable. Indeed, in the day time the sun is spring-like in its warmth. ON THE FARM. Tillage operations are being pushed on with all the speed possible. Everyone is going in for wheat in a way that would have been thought foolish a few years ago. In fact, some of our farmers are' gambling on wheat, the product that saved Canterbury from a more severe depression this autumn than she is at present feeling. Lea paddocks are now being ploughed up and drilled m wheat at once. This is not looked upon as good farming in other seasons So much depends on the weather durirm the rest of the season that it cannot he looked upon as anything but a gamble with the elements. Of course, the land is In good heart everywhere A drought has this eifect on the soil. It sweetens the land and limps it to store up nourishment for the growth Winch will fellow when rain comes. Tne s ,1 gets a rest, and we usually got a good season after a protracted dry spell. The Di d is. of course, very hard and is working up in a lumpy condition, "hi t as long as there is sufficient mould to the seed a start little attention is paid to tut. clods at tuts time of the sear. Tlioy can be dealt with in the sprite to the advantage of the crop. Still, thesis a con siderable risk in putting in wheat on what may be termed a raw furrow. \y P see wheat hi inrr put in where it has not. been grown for years The fact that it is goinoup in price in other lands owing to adverse conditions during the growing period is further inducing farmers to bank on wheat J air\!n=f ‘«nd wheat production seem to be the surest branches of farming financially ami most of us are having a go at ore or the' Otiier; in some cases both are beiTm . * no country has improved during tne last liijniii. \V ioit is . *i i stio\vmg’ above the ground, an, t ie eui-Iv t. j i lPtio 1 , , ' oaf " lii'e moved Kit tV i arn, r ,s have freshened up , t<- a further i,refer,,,. i„ thl fvl eT a,” in spring, ami altogether there will £ £ lug harvest it things turn out rich* T 1 Government is committed to takinV, .... , the surplus in October. 1922 g,’ ' ! - r a strong probability of a big lot of to handle at that time. 11 By the way the Minister of Agriculture has notified that flip price to be paid w ,q be fixed next February. It is to be "honed that this wnl be done earlier in the month than was the ease this year. The fixing of the ultimate price was left till the very lasi dav in the month, though a good quantity was coming on the market weeks before that.. l! is believer! that if there is a failing market, as v is the ease this year, the fixation of values is left till the very last moment. If. on the other hand, the market is rising, the price will be arranged as early as possible. It will be remembered that for next year we are to have a guaranteed minimum price with an adjustment above that if the outside markets warrant it. Teams are busy, whore they have got the winter crop in. ploughing up lea land for spring crop and for roots and rape.

The work is difficult owing to the hard nature of the land, but most owners are persevering with it, recognising that it pays to get as much team work done as possible when the weather is fine. Then there is the added incentive in the influence of the frost on the land during the winter months. That there is a lot of team work being done is evidenced in the way in which the prices of good horses are keeping up. Anything that is second-rate is selling at comparatively cheap rates, but good horses are still dear, in spite of the scarcity of horse feed. As a matter of fact, good draughts are scarce. Farmers went out of breeding some years ago, and it takes some time to get up a supply of horses of workable age when once tiie rearing of them has been dropped. WORKS CLOSING. The freezing works are coming to the end of their tether for this season. Most of the lambs have been got away, and only the tail end remains. The season has been an exceptionally good one for fattening, and there are few lambs left dh the farms. As usual, the prices have risen just at the end of the season after ruling at a low rate ever since the break in values early in the season. Numbers of lambs have been hung on tile hooks on owners’ account, and they will pay those who stored in this way. It may be some time before there is a ready market for them, but eventually they will be got off at an advance on the values that obtained when they were killed. There will be storage to pay after the middle of this month, and there is the interest on the money represented by the sheep in the freezing chamber, but, taking these factors into account, owners should come out of their venture all right later on.

The ewes are being put on turnips for a few hours each day, and it is advisable to do this rather than let them get low in condition before giving them this food. On the grass paddocks they are commencing to go back on condition since the frosts set in, and it is not wise to allow this to continue, seeing that we have the worst of the winter before us. Where the grass paddocks have been regularly renewed during the past few years the stock is holding its own fairly well. The picking that they get is sweet and good, though it is scanty. On old grass stock is not holding its own, and better feed should bo provided. Luckily, there are fair turnips on most farms, and for the next two months there should be sufficient to keep stock in decent order. There is a better tone in the markets, but pricee have not improved very much for store sheep. It is anticipated that prices will rise in the spring if the feed comes away, and most owners are endeavouring to hold on to their surplus stock till that time. MAKING THINGS SNUG. A general attempt to get ready for the winter is in progress. Potatoes are being got out of the ground, and roots are being stored against the bad weather when it comes. For both operations conditions are most favourable. The land is dry, and potatoes and turnips are coming up in good, clean condition. The potato crop is not a heavy one except in some instances, but it is healthy and sound. There are many good crops of swedes, and those are being stored as fast as possible for stock in the dead of winter and the early spring. There is a disposition to grow more swedes than formerly, and there is almost certain to bo a further increase in the area next spring. Lambs have done extremely well on them this autumn, and though they are hard on the teeth of the older sheep they are favoured for their qualities in the amount of nourishment and fattening they provide. A few acres w-ell treated will give an immense amount of feed. Unfortunately, tbev are favoured by the hares, and many acres of them have been oaten down by this pest, in many parts of Canterbury. Hares ■will travel for miles for a feed of swedes. They come in the night and disappear in the daytime. Shooting parries have accounted for large numbers of them lately, and this appears to be the most practical way of dealing with them. They seldom touch mangels, and will not molest other turnips when swedes are to be had. By the way, rabbits have been on the. increase during the year, and now poisoning is in full swing. This is one of the jobs that should be tackled now while the weather is fine and feed scarce. They ore taking the poiron very well, and thousands have been accounted for during the past few weeks. Phosphorised pollard is the favoured bait, but strychnine and carrots are also being used, though this is not as safe as the pollard and phosphorous. It. is said that dogs are liable to get poisoned if they pick up rabbits that have been closed with strychnine, but I know of some who feed their dogs oil rabbits killed in this way. Of course, the paunch is removed, but the idea that the whole carcase becomes impregnated with the strychnine seems to be a fallacy. This poison kills the rabbits at once, whereas phosphorous often means a very slow and very painful death for the pest. Rabliitskins are rising, and they pay for collecting. Many gangs are out in the back country, and just now poisoning operations are doing something to relieve the unemployment problem in some districts.