FARM CHAT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 896, 23 December 1916, Page 11

FARM CHAT.

■ Prebbleton district is taking on quite a harvest appearance now. A large proportion of the oat crop is either being cut or is in stook, while a stack has alrea-ly made its appearance in one fair-sized paddock close to the township. Tew of the eropa give any great promise, being extremely thin in parts and ill-inatured. More "than one paddock is to be seen standing only about eight or" ten inches high, out in earl and ripe enough for cutting. Some of these crops were probably never | meant for harvesting, merely being sown for green feed for sheep, but owing to the price of sheep in the winter and spring the crops have been) allowed to ripen. Those who travelled through the country districts this week state that a large proportion of the oat crop is now cut, and a certain amount has been threshed from the stook, with varying results, but it is obvious that the average yield for Canterbury will be much lower than usual. In some j parts, such as Springston, there are) good crops to be found, while llalswell j is also similarly favoured. Wheat is, ; generally speaking, withstanding the drought'better than oats. Potatoes in: the llalswell district are, so far, looking! well, but unless rain comes within the ! next fortnight or so the crop is likely j to be affected, in quality. ___ j A table is printed in the latest j "Journal of Agriculture," setting out' the area planted in commercial orchards in the Dominion during the 1916 planting season. The total area' planted in the Dominion is 2390 acres, of which over half has been planted in the Nelson district, the total area for that district being KJ2d acres. In Otago and Southland combined there i are 300 acres, while North Auckland comes next with 200 acres. North Canterbury, Marlborough, and VVangamii have 100 acres each to their credit. All the other districts have considerably j under three figures, while Taranaki rind VVangamii together have the smallest area, only totalling five acres. The question whether the farmers would be paid in full for their wheat immediately the purchase of the crop i by the Imperial authorities was completed was raised in the New South; Wales House of Representative*!. Mr : Hughes replied that it would not be possible to pay the fanners in full for their wheat, as the wheal could not be! delivered for, perhaps. IS months. The question of paying the farmers a reasonable advance was engaging the very serious consideration of tin' Wheat Board, which desired to pay the' fanners an advance of 2/(i a bushel. In order to do that it was nocessarv to burrow £ IK, 000,000. The difficulty ' arose, of course, in borrowing the : money.