SPRING CREEK.

Waipa Post, Volume III, Issue 143, 6 September 1912, Page 4

SPRING CREEK.

A VISITOR'S IMPRESSIONS

Writing in reference to a trip through the Spring Creek district, Marlborough, a corresponds has'the following to say :

It is a land of small farms. The average holdings are something like 150 acres, some more and some less. What took my attention first of all was that it is not a grassy country.' I did not see in the whole district what would be considered a grass paddock on any farm in the north. ... I was told that manure was rarely used; I did not come across a,farmer who has used any manure for the grain crops. This of itself speaks for the marvellous yields which obtain in the district. But I found that the farmers are now beginning to use fertilisers for the pea crops. The principal crops, one might almost say the whole, are peas, barley, and oats. The Blenheim district seems to be particularly adapted for peagrowing. Many of the large seed merchants at Home send their seed peas to New Zealand to be grown in bulk, while the seedsmen in the Dominion have large quantities grown by the farmers here. The prices given by the merchants run from 4s 6d for the tall-growing sorts, and on up to 6s and 6s 6d for dwarf kinds. The quantity of seed sent to'the farmer is deducted from the resulting crop. As to yields, I have all sorts of figures given, trom 30 to 80 bushels to the- acre, but I should say that 50 to 60 is a fair'average. The magnificent climate and the rich alluvial soil are no doubt the main factors in pea-growing.

V ith regard to oats, it is difficult not to show disbelief when I hear the figures quoted. Fourton yields of chaff are. quite common, while five tons are ah undoubted fact. I also heard of two farms where they had a sixton crop. But the champion hairraiser was when a farmer told me he knew of a grower who had 72 tons from ten acres! I have mentioned this to a good many, but none are inclined to credit it. The general was that a four-ton crop is an excellent return, and that there are more three-ton crops than any other. When 1 told one farmer that we have grown something like 30,000 tons of chaff in the Rangitikei .district this year, he was amazed, and said he did not think, as much was grown in the North Island.

Barley seems to be considered a good crop at 50 and 60 bushels. I heard of no one having a 100bushel crop, such as was grown by Mr Robert Tanner, at Kanere, near Palmerston. One thing that struck me particularly was that every farmer seems to have his own team or teams, and a full set.of implements. They don't believe in contract work here, as frequently just when they wanted their land

ploughed or sown the contractors would not be available. Fruit of all kinds does well, and on Mr W. Gilford's farm, near the house are some huge lemon and orange trees simply laden with fruit. There is also an enormous orange tree fully 20ft high on Mr Vv'eadon's farm, having a very heavy crop.