THE CROPS.

Western Star, Issue 809, 16 January 1884, Page 3

THE CROPS.

The weather during the summer now drawing to a close has, with but slight exception, been of the most unseasonable description, and has resembled more that of early spring than the genial season we generally associate with summer. . Cold and high winds have prevailed almost uninterruptedly, accompanied by heavy falls of rain and frequent showers of hail, which have had the effect of greatly retarding the growth of crops and vegetation generally. It is anticipated that harvest will be, fully three weeks or a month later than last season. There has been but little growth in pastures, and the turnip crop is also making slow progress, but a week’s warm weather would show a wonderful difference in these “ beef producers.” The fruit crop is also very backward. Yesterday morning a furious gale raged. From the Wairio district we learn that it was exceedingly violent, and accompanied with thunder and lightning, rain and hail. Below will be found notes of the condition of crops in various districts. The fine weaiher of tho last week or so (writes the “ Oaniaru limes ”) has had a good I effect on the oat crops. For some lime past doubts have been entertained whether the oat crop would be worth cutting for the grain, but the last week er so lias brought the straw up amazingly, and (hero is now a prospect of a fair average crop. Persons who have travelled by rail and otherwise through the country say the change in so short a time is wonderful.

Ha'Vesfc operations have commenced in South Canterbury. The “ Timaru Herald” states that a field of Oits is b ing cut on the Levels Plains, and a farmer on Kingsdown expects ta b gin cutting wheat in the course of to-day or 10-movrow, Of the crops in the Palmerston district the local paper says;—“The crops throughout this and the adjoining districts never looked better, but (hero exists a fear that the wheat crop will be pretty generally affected with rust. In fact, we hear that owing to this cause, brought on by cold, wet weather, some of the settlers contemplate cutting their wheat, intending to turn, the straw into chaff as the best alternative in the present unsatisfactory state of things.” The small bird nuisance has been productive of much loss in several parts ot the Taieri this year. In the Trinity of Woodsideand Maungatua (says the “Advocate ”) there are some fields in which the crop has been almost totally destroyed. Some farmers are cutting the green crop in order to try and save what little they can. The fields where the birds have been at work present a white appearance, the ears, of wheat and oats having been picked clean only the husk I’emaining. They have also committed desperate ravages amongst the turnips. The birds allow the turnips to just peep above the surface of Hie ground, arid then as soon as a speck of green appears, they tear up the young plant by the root. In some turnip fields a close examination showed the delicate fibres of the young turnip plants lying thickly strewn on the ground, looking as if they were vast quantities of thin white worms all over the land. {See fourth •page.)