TOTAEA VALLEY.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2916, 28 January 1884, Page 3

TOTAEA VALLEY.

Following up the Opihi and turning across country to the northward, wo get into a section iv wbioh tho beneficial influence of a limestone aubiioil rcakes iteelf unmist&keably apparent. Magnificent grain and root crops lire the rule hero, with very few exceptioas. A long «pur runs from the junction ol tlie Opihi and Terjgawai rivera opposite the IPoint township far a distance of, some eight or nine miles alnng the bank of the Opihi, >»here it terminates m a small peak, — on the summit of wbieb, by-the-bye, is a round crater-lite hole, giTing it the appearance of an extinct miniature volcano. This spur also forms the eastern boondarj_ of the Totara Valley. Mr A. Mee'« farm Lite-sects the spar two or three miles from its: lower end. Mr Mcc has some crop, chiefly red chaff wheat, which looks well on the riier side of the spar, but same on the flat on tlhe other «ido would have been better had it not been sown quite ao thick. Front 'the Opihi Hotel, and running aloDg the top and eastern sido of tbe spar for a distance of about three miles m a block of wheat seven hundred acre* m extent, owned by tho proprietor* ol the Levels estate. There are three varieties sown, red and velvet chaff, and an American Variety. The latter, of which there is some two hundred acres, is sown oo the flit, between tbe ipur and the river. It is a heavy yielding eort, bat the land at sowing tims was very wet, and it did riot gpt a fair start, aad is not 'looking so well as could be desired. On the left hand side of a road raomoß through the block, red chaff is sown. It too' has suffered somewhat on tbe flatter parts ; bull on the sidlings it is very: heavy, and on the rides of tbe gullies it is somewhat laid. llie velvet chaff on the opposite side of tbe road is a splendid crop, and like tbe red chaff, improves as the higher ground ia reached, and at the upper end is so heavy' that the late nids and winds have laid it perfectly flat m pliices. At the head of the Totsrn valley are several small farms, on .whion some very goo J crops ore to ba seen. One paddook of velvet ohsil wheat, owned by Mr Slaokler, has b*sn treated by tbe wind and rain m a similar manner to thtt mentioned above. On the Brothers, aa the high itretoli of down Uod on the weitein side of the valley is called, Urge biocl:s of land have open broken up and sown m grasu, and turnipa. The soil is too sour for growing grain, and though the downs Are comparatively flat on the top, their high altitude and some degroe of inaccessibility, will always rendor them more suitable for pa-to/al purpotes. On tho lower spun, however, sarei'al patohos of wheat and oati are to be seen.. The Levels . own the largest block that hiis been sown m turnips. In the small valleys which intersect the Brothers, falling into Totara. Valley, are a nunubor of small farms, upon which are some .very good crops of wheat and oats. Continuing down the Totara Valley the farm of Mr Shaw if met with. On ttiiome thres hundred acres of whi»t have been' sown, one paddook of which, near the homestead, is above the averago. Near this ia She farm of Mr Stewwt, who has a very hoavy crop of oats on • small round hill, all more or leas laid. Mr W. Hay has one of the finest blocks of wheat,— a little over five hundred acres m extent— trhich is to be Bsen anywhere. Five different varietu* are sown ohiefly on lea fallow. Velvet obtff has grown the heat, the straw ia some places being considerably over flve feet high; On this farm is also a grand crop of Oane.dian oatrt which retain their perpendioulur, -/rhich Mr H&y estimates will turn out seventy bushels to the acre. His eiittmalo for his wheat is forty bushels, and it should go quite that. The excellence of Mr Hay's cfopa may bs attributed m some degreo to their botog'. sown, as stilted, on lea land. Probably tone of the wed missed, and that which grew, grap all the stronger for cot being so thick- Buit has made its appearsnoo here during tli» past week or so, but only to a slight extent. Ab the head of tbe valley known as Blue's are tho farms of Messrs Olelland, BaifoUrjnnd Patteraon. Each has -rrmra or less crop m, and from what could be learned they are promising well. Oo the. iowtr end* of .the »nura near tb<> month' of the Totara Valley are eeventl blocks of red chaff wheat, which look very trait.: Mr Simpson has some librae hundred acre* hem ill' one block Mr Howell has sorpe ninety aorns of wheat and & small poddocrof Canadian oats. The wheat— red ohaff, velvet cbaff and tuscan— the oprner estimates will average about forty bushels to the acre, som's pafohu going aa high as sixty. The oats, aro ex ; ceptionaJly heavy ; and very i oiuob. laid, The potato crop m this neighborhood ii worthy of special mention. Tho nggregati extenk of the crop is not very great, but thf sevornl small lots present a ror'y fine appearano«, and if luiurapt and henlthy-lookinj tops indicate a prdiflo yield of tubers, am

t»— —————— — — m«— —^— , they usually do ad, tha' crop' ; will be v heo.vj t one. The soil hereabouts is well auited tc | potatoes, the only disadvantage being tbat the t cartage to market aubtraots too much from i the proceeds, to make the orop .a very pr> fiti able one. i [To be continued.]