BIG CROPS IN MARLBOROUGH

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XLXII, Issue 15242, 7 January 1943, Page 4

BIG CROPS IN MARLBOROUGH

HARVESTING PROSPECTS. Electric Telegrapn—Press Association BLENHEIM, January 4. Harvesting is now well under way throughout the Marlborough district and because of the ideal season is somewhat earlier than usual. The first lines ot Italian and perennial ryegrass are coming into the stores, and mainly at Hillersden and Soddon the first of the wheat is being headed. Ever, on the heavier types of soil the bulk of the wheat shows' signs of coming along all at once, and there are some excellent crops to he seen. Haymaking has gone ahead undisturbed. and ample stocks of good quality hay should be available for the coming season. Large quantities of baled Lay are to be seen. ° The oat harvest* is practically completed, and tile crops are now going into the stack. Here. too. excellent quality is to be Seen, though the area being sown in oats each year is growing progressively less. Barley crops are on the way, and a fair proportion has been windrowed preparatory to being picked up by the headers and bagged.

All the autumn-sown linen flax has been brought in and stacked at the factories—by n 0 means a poor feat when it is recognised that an area of approximately 15(T0 acres was grown at Blenheim and r.round Seddo-i. As far as the spring crop is concerned the harvesting is completed at 'Seddon, and around Blenheim about 250 acres remains to be pulled. Small seed crops such as onions, leeks, and radishes ar© doing excellently. but the same cannot be said of some of the areas of broad beans, which have suffered heavy damage at the hands of the vorncjions aphis. In several instances, whole bean crops have had to be written off. Peas on the lighter lands hav© come through the 'season almost unscathed by dry conditions. Thanks to the co-operation of the military, authorities sufficient labour appears to he available for the handling of the big Marlborough crop acreage.