PASTURES AND CROPS.

Waipa Post, Volume IV, Issue 185, 4 February 1913, Page 4

PASTURES AND CROPS.

OFFICIAL DECEMBER REPORTS.

O fficers of the Fields and Experiments Division of the Department of Agriculture have the following to say on the condition of the pastures and crops : New Plymouth.—Grass has made good growth and feed has been plentiful. Both mangels and turnips have in some cases been attacked by the fly, but on the whole are doing well. Haymaking and ensilage-making are general. Stratford. —All crops have come on well. The spell of fine weather was very favourable for shearing, and is also good for haymaking. Many of the settlers have burnt their bush, and good burns are reported. Wanganui.—After nearly fourteen months of more or less unsatisfactory weather, ol which rain and cold were predominant features, fine weather set in in the beginning of December, since when we have had a wealth of warm sunshine with very little rain. Unfortunately, the wind, which has been much in evidence has evaporated surface moisture and made more rain a necessity to the success of late-sown cereal crops, also to grain and root crops. Early-sown grain crops and feed in pastures have grown luxuriantly during the month and are now looking remarkably well. Hastings. —Harvesting oper-

ations have been in full swing, and much good fodder should be saved, as the crops appear to be much better than usual in this district. There is still an • abundance of grass, which is now of better quality for fattening purposes than earlier in the season. Potato crops are good, but in some places are becoming much affected with blight; other root crops are looking well. Feilding. — The dry weather has been very noticeable. Some fine hay is being made. This will be found useful during the winter to keep the stock in good form for the coming spring. Shearing operations have been in full swing. Pahiatua. —The heavy lands have become baked through lack of intermittent showers, and the quantity of milk went down through the same cause. We have not the quantity of leec! there ought to be at this time of the year. Showers are wanted to give rape and turnips a start. Hay is being got in in good order. Early crops are ripening, but late crops are poor.

Masterton. —The fine seasonable weather has enabled good progress to be made with all kinds of farm and station work. Shearing operations have finished, and in some cases lambs have been dipped as a prevention against the maggot-fly- Grass is more plentiful here this season than it has been for some years past, and some very heavy crops of hay are being harvested. Potatoes are looking extremely well. A very marked improvement in the state of all crops has taken place since the dry weather set in, and a good yield is now anticipated. Oats in many cases are now harvested. Blenheim. —The weather was very hot all the month, and rain is badly needed for the crops on the heavy land, which were very late in being put in owing to the sodden state of the ground in spring.

Seddon. —All crops are practically cut, and all the oats are stacked. Threshing is being actively carried on in barley paddocks. The pea crops are nearly all harvested. The increase in acreage of this particular crop is about 100 per cent over that of last year. Pastures are beginning to dry up. Nelson. —Very little rain has fallen, and the country is too dry. The pastures have gone very brown, and some of the corn crops have ripened too quickly ; they wanted rain to fill the grain better. The potatoes and other root crops also show the want of rain. Although some fanners are harvesting, a good rain would do a great amount of good.