THE CROPS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 3533, 25 January 1886, Page 3

THE CROPS.

(By Oub SrECiAii Reported.) (Continued.) Kakaut:, Hilton and Gapes' Valley. Coming now to Kakahu, tho first, farm met with after crossing the river i 3 Mr Finlay's, where is to be seen 12 acres of oats and 90 of barley, which together may be set down as only a medium crop, and estimated to run from 25 to 30 bushels to the acre. Mr Guerin has 100 acres of wheat and 70 of oats, and Mr Beattie 31 of oats and 19 of wheat, and these crops are fairly good. Mr W. Earl has a 60-acre paddock of. Red Chaff wheat and a 22-acre one of Tuscan, but tho wheat is, taken altogether, very light, the ground being for the most part shallow and of a I shingly nature. He has just sown 40 acreß of turnips, and the wcathorat thetimo of my visit on Monday, must have just suited thorn. He has also 50 acre 3of oats, which aro expected to turn out the most prolific crop on the farm. His brother (Mr J. Earl) has a farm adjoining, and has got down 50 acres of oats, which will run well over 50 bushels to the acre ; m fact, they are ono of the very best crops on tho Kakahu. Messrs Bruce and Holwell, whose farm is situato near those of t.hp brothora IT«i-l. Imvo 90 acres of White and Bed Chaff wheat, which is a fair crop ; 50 acre 3of Canadian and 45 of Sparrow-bill oats, which aro similar m quality to the wheat — will barely run inoro than 30 bushels to the aore. The farmers named had cut 20 acres of tho oats when I arrived, but had had to stop cutting on account of the rain. No doubt, by this time all the oats will be levelled with the ground. Messrs Bruce and Holwell, like many other farmers, havo had to sow turnips a second time, tho dry weather, assisted by tho flies, having killed all tlie early sown oues. After crossing the Kakahu river, Mr Sharp's small holding is seen situate m a good placo for dry Beasons, but m very wet weather it must bo too dump altogether. He has 27 acres of Danish oats m, and if all goe3 well, he should get the splendid return of 55 to 60 bushels to tbo aero. Small patches of | barley and mangolds also promise large returns. At tho next farm — Mr Holland's — I enjoyed a very hearty dinner, and chattod principally about crops and weather. From the conversation, I gleaned that this season I the return from all grain, m proportion to tho acreage sown, was expected to be lavgor thau had ruled during tho last two or threo seasons, tho hot weather, owing to tho geographical position of Kakahu nnd its good water supply, not being nearly ao severely felt as it had m many other parts of tho district. Still, however, it has done a certain amount of harm. On Mr Kelland's land are many acres of crop, but it belongs toothor farmers and croppeis. Mr T. Talbot has 210 acres of Danish oats ; Mr Tooraey 140, part Canadian and part Tartarian ; Mr Geo. Meredith 100 of Danish oats, and 40 acrosof Bed Chaff wheat ; and Mr E. Smith 70 of Canadian oats and 40 acres of Bed Chaff wheat. All these crops are very well, patchy places being rare, and each owner should net a fairly good return. In many places the land is strong and heavy, and as a result the crops on it are excellent. Taking good, bad and indifferent together, the oat 3 should give from 25 to 30 bushels to tho aero and the wheat 30 to 40. Closo to tho township of Hilton Messrs C. Leary, Bradley, and Beatlio have a good few acres m wheat and oats. The latter have thrived beet, and should on some

acres givo a very high percentage indeed. Up the Baincliff road Mr Foster has got some graud looking oats and wheat, and on Raincliff are 100 acres ie very good oats. In Gapoa' Valley Messrs Townsend, Patrick, and others havo altogether a litlli; over 50 acres m wheat and oats, which are coming on woll, and should givo -10 bushels to tho urn*. To once more turn towards Tomukn, going along the main road from Hilton, alni^o area bolonging to Skinner Bros, is seen under crop. Mr J. S, Skinner, who lives closo to Hilton, has 120 acres of oats— Bo acre? Danish, nnd tho balanco Canadians — and 80 aorcs of Red Chaff whent. Tho grain was looking uncommonly woll up to a couple of wcoks ago. Sinco then it has gone liauk rather than forward, and is not filling out nearly so well as was expected. Mr It. S. Skinner, who lives on tho downs to tho northwest of Hilton, has 96 acres of oats, and 48 of wheat, but the crop will not bo a iirst-olass ono. Tnu Waitoiii. Driving out of Temuin, and taking tho Wuitohi road, I visited first of all Mr Benbow's Ladymoro farm, on which there is 95 acres of wheat, and 45 of barley. All these crops arc not hoavy, and aro not expected to yield more than 30 bushels to tho acre. On the opposite sido of tho road Mr Arkwright Ims somo good crop, and Mr McCullough's 40 acres of wheat and 50 of oats, are also m capital heart. Turning now up what was known m tho old days as tho Rangitira Valley Mr W. Cooko's farm, on which aro 70 acres of Rod Chaff wheat and 4,1 acres of onts —which to uso Mr Cooke's own words are getting " fits" from tho small birds — is passed, and farther on those of Messrs Jas. Wright and W. Lyon. I come now to Mr John Talbot's -homestead. Horo aye 100 acres of oa's and 50 of wheat. The former owing to being sown late aro backward, but they should be none the worse for that, and should yield well. The land on the farm is heavy but not rich, and the crops generally come to great perfection if tlio season is at all propitious. On the farm feed is very plentiful, and all tho fruit trees arc heavily laden, even to the peach trees, which many gardeners, both amateur and professional, know to their cost have been anything but ordinarily prolific m this district of late years. The next farm is Mr Willi <m Wright's where I found all hands very busy m the harvest ik-ld. This farmer has 80 acres m wheat, 55 m oats and 40 m turnips. The wheat and oats aro coming on fir3t rate, especially the portions on the low lards. His brother (Mr Jas. Wright) whose farm is reached before Mr Jno. Talbot's, bus D 5 acres of wheat, which is an excellent crop, and will run fully 45 bushels to tho acre, and 93 acres of oats, which will hardly thresh out so well as the wheat. Passing tho farms of Messrs T. Braddock and T. Talbot, who have both oats and wheat growing, Mr Nicholson's homestead is met with This farmer has no crop m this season, but his next door neighbor, Mr Clarke, who lives right on the top of the downs, has about 100 acres of oats, which aro filling out capitally and give every sign of a very fair yiold. Going through a short cut by Dinder farm, and so on over the very top of tho downs, Waitohi Flat proper is reached. Tho Flat, as seen from tho top of tho hills m tho immediate background, presents a most pleasing sight. As far as tho eyo can reach is to be seen patches of crop, and the bright green and straw color of outs contrasts delightfully with tho dull brown color of wheat. In the distance, to the left, is plainly seen the township of Tomuka, the spire of the Roman Catholic church standing out m bold relief ; while closo to tho right is seen tho township of Pleasant Point, and away to the southward tho port and town of Timaru. Descending into tho Flat, and skirting the downs the first farm I called at I met an old friend, Mr J. Frasov, for many years stntionniaster at Studholmo Jnnction. Ho lias got n very snug little holding, nnd has on it 40 acres of oats and 15 of wheat. The crops are rather thin, but tho color is excellent, and the return should bo a fair ono. Passing along small patches of crop bolonging to Messrs Strceter, Halley, AloCabe, Friel, and Matliews are seen, and all are looking fairly well, but the return m no ono injtnnco will be out of tho common. On tho downs on Mr Wigley's run several contractors are cropping, and their labors promise to bo amply rewarded. Goiug across tho Flat, Messrs Holland Bros, and Messrs James Orr and Co.'s farm are reached simultaneously, both being opposite each other and fronting on the same road. The Messrs Holland have 22 acres m Velvet and 43 m Red Chaff wheat, all of which is first olass. The machino was at work m the Velvet when I called, and the other wheat will, no doubt, bo also cut ere these notes reach your subscribers. In addition to tho wheat, Messrs Holland havo 50 acres of oats, but they will not, taken all round, yield so largely as the wheat. Messrs Orr and Co. havo 50 acres m Bed Chaff and Velvet wheat ; 18 m barley, and 50 m Sparrow-bill oats. The Velvet wheat has done tho best, but tho oats aro an uneven crop, parts of them being vory poor indeed. As a result, the net return for the whole aoreago will not be a very large ono. On Mr Bae's farm are 50 acres of Velvet wheat of splendid quality, and which, should no mishap befall them, givo ono of tho highest returns of any crop on the flat. Tho paddock the crop is m had been worked well, being ploughed no fewer than three times before seed was sown. In the paddock adjoiniog is somo Red Chaff wheat, but tho crop is only a medium one. Turning towards Temuka at the corner known as " Young's cross roads," Mr D. Young's farm is reached. Ho has 100 acres m Sparrow-bill oats, and 160 acres m Red Chaff and Pearl wheat, which, taken altogether, nre fair crops. Mr Nicholson, junr., has 50 acreß m oats, and Mr Thornley about 200 acres m the same cereal, and Messrs Croaker and Moore have crops m. Mr Croaker's wheat runs thin here and there, but it should yield lar/ely, and Mr Scott's oats and wheat, especially the latter, promise to bo among the most prolific crops en the Waitohi Flat. Seadown and the Levels. Going out of Timaru to the northward some paddocks of excellent wheat and oats are to be seen on the March wiel (Mrs P. B. Luxmoore's) estate, and adjoining it is a triangularrsbaped paddock of wheat between tlio old and new Washdyko road. On Elloughton (Mr W. Grant's) aro 50 acres of wheat and 190 o£ oats, 60 acres of tho latter being already cut. The oots should run about 40 bushels to the acre, and tho wheat 30. In addition to these crops Mr Grant has 150 acres of turnips, which are doing fairly well, and which should give a capital yield now moist weather has set m. In paddocks adjoining the Main Road Messrs Stephenson and Goldie have some really good wheat and oats, which havo grown remarkably woll considering the said-to-bo shallow nature of the ground hereabouts. Messrs B. Tangney, Dawo and T. Steven have pmtll lots of crop m, allot' which are looking iuirly well. Mr John Devan has 75 acres m oats, and Mr Eobert Dane has 400 odd acres m oat 3 and wheat, which, however, are anything but good m many placos. On tho Levels estate aro some hundreds of acres of crop, which is for the most part good, and opposite tho estato on the right of tho Pleasant Point road, Messrs W. Perry and J. Brosnahan havo about 60 acres between them m oats and wheat, and Messrs J. O'Connor and Harrison with a like acreage have got medium crops. On Straband farm, the property of Mr John Vance, are 25 acres of oats and 3 acres of barley, but owing to the season tho return will bo a very low one. On Stonyer's old farm Messrs T. Brosnahan and T. Leonard havo many acres of wheat and oat?, but tho crops aro not first-class ones and tho yield will be low. Away towards tho river and the Main South Road the crops run light. Mr Cane has nfc the foot of the downs 80 acres of wheat and 25 of oats, but tho weather has made sad havoc with them and the return which was expected some weeks ago to bo large will be barejy a fair average one. Mr Cartwright's crops aro looking well on land adjoining Mr Cane's farm. The oats were all cut on Friday last, and stack building had commenced. On land belonging to Messrs Anderson, Botherway, Keenahan, Morrison and Miller the crops are looking fair, as are also Mr Denis Hoare's 80 acres of oats and 42 acres of wheat. Ovor tho downs m the Levels Valley Mr James Sullivan has 214 aorea m Red Chaff and Velvet wheat, and 170 acres m oats. The wheat will run just over 45 bushels to tho acre, but it 13 hard to tell just now how the oat' will eholl out, ac m Borne places they

look so good that 90 bushels would not bo too high nn estimate, whilst m others between 15 and 20 would bo nearer tho mark. However, tho Canadians might, taken all round, give 45 bushels to tho acre, and tho Danish about 80. Mr Sullivan's crops nro cortainly looking very good, beiug not too hoavy m tho straw and well-houdod. Up Tycho Flat way and towards Canninglon thoro is vory littlo crop. What littlo thoro is, however, is of nvorugo quality. Taken altogether tho souson has boon too dry for tho Scndown, nnd (ho farmers will not bo nt nil sorry when tho irrigation works aro completed. (To bo continued.)