WEATHER AND CROPS.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 3, Issue 5, 15 November 1911, Page 409

WEATHER AND CROPS.

OCTOBER.

Officers of the Department report as follows on the weather of the past month and the condition of pastures and crops : Hamilton.—Occasional heavy rains, with continuous high winds. A boisterous month. Fruit-trees have suffered to a certain extent by the stormy weather, and the milk-yield from dairy cows has not been up to the average for the same reason. Pastures and crops are looking well. — J. Kerr. Kihikihi.—-A wet and very windy month, with occasional frosts. Pastures and crops are in good condition.— C. E. McPhee. Te Kuiti.-—A wet month, heavy showers being followed by high winds of a cold nature; during dry weather the nights have been cold : this retarded the growth of all pastures except those in sheltered situations. Generally speaking the spring is a backward one, and dairy-farmers are complaining about the shortage of feed. Pastures are backward, clover maturing slowly. Crops are looking well, but oats are backward. B. Bayly. Ohakune.Very cold and wet weather, with fairly sharp frosts : in consequence everything is backward. Farmers would do well in growing winter feed in this district to guard against the long and severe winter weather that is generally experienced. Very little is done in this direction, but there are a few farmers gradually becoming aware of the fact that it is really necessary. Pastures are very backward, the grub doing a certain amount of damage, especially on the plains.— Barry. - Gisborne.—-A succession of strong winds and want of rain during the month : this has kept the pastures in a backward state, and has made the working of the land for maize-planting a very difficult matter. Pastures are fair. Very little green food is grown, but the condition of that planted is comparatively promising.— W. Ross. Wairoa.-The weather has been dry, with high westerly winds, tending to parch up the face of the country. Occasional showers have fallen, but so meagre as to be of little practical value to occupiers of pastoral country, and augurs badly for the success of this season’s farming operations. Pastures are in a very bad state for the season of the year : land only being prepared for white crops.' — F. Mullaly. Hastings.'— dry month, and high winds; good rain on the 27th, but much more is wanted. A fair growth of pasturagesufficient for sheep but insufficient for cattle. Green feed is looking well, and oats are very satisfactory.— J. G. Parker. Waipukurau.—Very dry windy weather was experienced up to the 26th, when there was a good fall of rain followed by heavy winds. Good showers of rain fell on the 29th. .. Pastures are looking fairly well, but not the growth there should be. There is a fair growth of green feed, under the circumstances. Winter grain is looking well, but spring wheat and late oats are exhibiting the effect of dry weather. H. 0. M. Christie. New Plymouth. This has been a very wet, cold month, with a heavy hailstorm on the 17th and 18th, and some very cold winds. The rain was greatly needed, as we had a dry winter and spring. The beneficial results expected from the rain have been counteracted by the hail and cold winds. • ■ . . There are general complaints of shortage of feed, consequently there is a shortage in the milk-supply and little growth in the crops. Grass is backward. B. E. FairfaxCholmeley.

. Stratford.—-Exceptionally heavy rainfall 1 for the month, accompanied by snow and hail. Rain was wanted badly in the district, but the cold weather has retarded the growth of grass, and caused a marked decrease in the milk-supply. With warm weather, however, the grass should come on rapidly. A fair amount of feed in pastures. Not much green feed grown, but what there is is showing fair development. Oats are only fair : those in exposed positions have been cut by cold winds.— F. Wilson. Hawera.Following on an unusually dry spell in August and September, copious rains have fallen during the month, but the good effects have been seriously minimized by incessant cold winds. Pastures are backward. Small plots being prepared for maize. Limited area will be sown in turnips. Mangels do well in this district: every farmer grows a few. Small areas in oats coming along well. — J. Glasson. Wanganui.- first nine or ten . days of the month were dry, and a succeeding dry spell appeared ominous, moisture being badly needed. However, rain fell on the 11th, and continued intermittently for four days, since when good rains have fallen periodically. Unfortunately, during the fair weather there has been a lot of cold wind, which, has considerably retarded growth of grass and crops. The month ended with windy weather and indications of more rain. Fair feed in pastures : growth slow owing to lack of warmth. Practically no green feed. Crops looking well. — Watson. Feilding.—-The weathers has been very cold and boisterous, with occasional heavy showers : still, it should influence the development of all crops in this district, whereas without these late rains the outlook would have been serious. The present effect is beneficial, and the probable future influence should be good. ' Should genial sunshine be experienced pastures should be very good. Green feed is ready to cut. Maize is looking very well. Turnips are not yet sown. Mangels are being planted, and rape is being drilled. All other-crops look very promising. Oats have a splendid appearance. W. Dibble. ■ ■ Pahiatua.—During the month we have had nothing but gales and intermittent showers, which have delayed the work on the farms, besides hindering the growth of crops of all kinds, especially so on country exposed to the north-west gales. Draining to prevent waterlogging of the soil is not appreciated in the district as it should be. Pastures are unsatisfactory on poor soils and where farms have been overstocked. Green feed not up to what it should be. Crops looking fairly well. — T. Bacon. Masterton.The month has been exceptionally wet, cold, and very boisterous at times, with “hail and frosts; but good growing weather was experienced in the. last week, and there have been some warm days lately.. While feed was plentiful in the winter, spring-feed is only coming away in some sections. Generally it is-a late spring. Very little green feed grown. What grain is grown is looking well. — T. G. Webb. ■ ■ - ■ Carterton.— weather has been very broken, and more rain has fallen than •usual for October. During the early part of the month a cold, rough, southerly snap was experienced, with heavy snow on high country. The latter portion, however, brought warmer rains and more genial weather, generally resulting in excellent growth of all kinds. Grass is abundant, and green feed is making good growth. Grain crops are promising.B. C. I vens. . , , . ■ Wellington.—The copious warm rains of last week, though delaying shearing in a few cases, came when badly wanted to freshen up pastures, which were bare. A good supply of feed is assured. ~ ' Pastures are rather short, but are now growing fast. Green feed is. looking well also oats, grown, only for chaffing.— G. H. Jenkinson. Nelson. The weather has been cold and squally during the month, and there has been very little growth, especially in the high country. Snow-fell in places during October where none fell during the winter. Pastures are very backward .owing to the unfavourable weather, which has: had a marked, effect on the early pea crop, which is turning out much below the usual. The tomato crop will be late. Crops look well. Large area sown to oats, and these look promising.— H. Cleland* ... . ■■ Blenheim. The weather this-month;has been nothing but Ta course of successive gales, being very cold, with three nights’£frost, one -of which was in places very severe,

leaves breaking off like pieces of glass. Good rain fell in the. Pelorus, Wairau, Sounds, and Blenheim districts ; but from the Riverlands Homestead, Vernon, and Ugbrooke to the coast the country is very dry, feed short, and rain badly needed. - Pastures were badly checked by severe weather, but with late rains and present weather they should now go ahead. Practically no greed feed grown. With the better weather, winter wheat, spring wheat, oats, and barley are looking well ■ everywhere. Potatoes were cut by severe frosts.— F. H. Brittain. • Seddon.-The weather ,on the whole has been too cold-—dry and windy. The showers of rain that have fallen were not enough to thoroughly wet the ground. In consequence the pastures are not so good as usual, and in parts of the district are now turning yellow on the steep north faces. Though the weather is now much warmer than it was, and the snow is disappearing off the ranges, it is too dry both for grain and root crops. Oats and barley are now coming into head, and want a good rain to mature the grain. The dry weather is having a prejudicial effect on fields of grain that were too wet in the winter. '■ However, it is enabling the farmers to get their root crops sown, and. is suiting all those who are shearing. — J. Ward. . Lincoln. Rain fell at fairly regular intervals during the month. Owing to the absence of heat, usual in October, growth has been slow. With the advent of warm weather feed and crops of all kinds should come away rapidly. Except in sheltered valleys on Banks Peninsula the growth of grass has been slow ; there were too many mouths to let it get ahead. Generally speaking, crops are looking well. Owing to hard feeding in winter and spring, cocksfoot has not had a good chance. During the coming season lambs should be in good demand ; also dairy cows, the deathrate of which, owing to want of feed during winter, was abnormally high. — J. G. Scott. Kaikoura.—The first half of the month was very dry, - with incessant north-west and easterly winds. On the 19th a good beneficial rain fell and did an immense amount of good to the crops and grass, which previously , were backward. On the night of the 27th a cold southerly blizzard came up and continued for a few hours. One owner who was shearing lost a considerable number of sheep newly shorn. The remainder of the month has been nice and warm. A frost occurred on the night of the 14th instant, and frosted off the majority of early potatoes through the ground. There is now plenty of feed for stock. Autumn-sown oats eaten off, and the stock have been shut off again. Spring wheat looking well —no grub or fly. Oats coming along splendidly. Very small areas of —looking well. Potatoes nearly all frosted off on night of 14th. — W. S. Goodall. Rotherham.—The weather during the past month has been somewhat changeable. There were two or three very cold snaps, with snow on the low country, which has been very disastrous to young lambs. This was followed by very severe frosts, which have done great damage to fruit-trees. Pastures are coming on well, and promise to provide excellent feed. > Green feed looking promising. A large area is being sown to mangels. All grain crops looking well. A large area has been sown to spring wheat as well ,as to potatoes.lF. M. Munro. ■ ' Rangioßa. was a very heavy frost on the night of the 14th October, which cut back the early potatoes, and did great damage to stone fruit. From the 17th to the 20th October there was heavy rain and snowstorms over the greater part of this district, but especially in the back country. About the 24th hot north-west winds prevailed and brought down the snow and flooded the Waimakariri.' Not much damage resulted. Pastures are looking well, the rain and hot weather having . brought them along very quickly. Spring wheat is coming away very fast, and other grain crops are looking well. — Hughes. Ashburton. —There was fine growing weather through the month. Rain fell on eight days : total rainfall, 1-92 in. Frost on twenty-two nights : highest on 17th —11 degrees. In the back country, one of the worst Octobers for a good many years. Owing to some of the runs falling in in February, lambing is earlier, and a big mortality, in lambs and ewes has taken place. Rain, snow, and north-west blizzards have been more prevalent than in previous seasons. Pastures have come on splendidly, although large bare patches, due to grass-grub, are everywhere to be seen. Old pastures of cocksfoot have suffered the least. Green feed is looking well. All grain crops looking well. Turnips not started sowing. Rape and mangels just being sown.— G. Branigan.

Fairlie. —-A very unfavourable spring has been experienced. Snow fell to the depth of 2 ft. in some parts during the latter end of July, and since that date there has been a succession of snowstorms. Farming-work of all kinds has been very much delayed. Lambing percentages are very small. There will be a big shortage of lambs in this district this season. There has been very little growth in pastures up to the present. Very little green feed. A large area being planted to turnips and rape, and a good area to mangels. A large area of winter wheat, and it is looking well. Little spring wheat sown owing to unfavourable conditions, and the growth is poor. Oats being sown on a large scale. ■-W. B. Manning. Timarl’.—During the month there have been heavy winds, both from the northwest and south-west, with snow on the hills and late frosts. At the end of the month warm north winds and light showers gave all vegetation a good start. The season is considered late. Good growth observable in pastures, but bare patches, owing to grub. The same remark applies to winter wheat. Roots are being sown, and there is a good strike of rape. Other crops looking well. J. C. Huddleston. Waimate.Rain has fallen at reasonable intervals, although the cold weather experienced has not tended to hasten growth. Speaking generally, the present prospects of the agriculturist and grazier are good. Several dry north-west winds have been experienced during the past month, but on occasions have been accompanied by rain, thus preventing any noticeable check in growth. While young pastures suffered from overstocking in winter, there has been great improvement in the growth of grass in both high and low lands since the beginning of the month. Green feed, generally backward in growth, is receiving more consideration. Turnips are being grown more on the ridging principle, and mangels are being grown to a greater extent. Winter wheat, of which there is a considerable area, has never looked better. Spring, wheat promises heavy yields, as well as oats, of which an extended area has been planted. An increased area has been sown to potatoes. Co-operative experimental work has made a beginning, and farmers in the district are becoming more alive to the benefits to be derived from such, and more inquiries are daily being made by them. Lucerne-growing takes much of the interest, and plots of this already sown are looking encouraging. Farmers are displaying a keen interest now in lucernehow, when, and where to sow. One hears of somewhat extensive areas to be tried next season. — F. A. Macdonald. Ketrow. —The weather on the Upper Waitaki has been very mixed, one warm day and the next like winter. There have been many showers, and there is a marked improvement in the look of the country generally compared with the corresponding month of last year. ; ' Farmers are well ahead with their cultivation, and prospects look brighter than they have done for years. Grass is coming away well, and there is an abundance of feed on the back-country runs. The grub is very destructive in places. All crops are looking fairly well. — G. Reid. OaMar.lt. — very good month ; not so boisterous as it usually is, as there have been very few equinoctials ; things agricultural and pastoral, never looked better. There were frequent good showers during the month, and something over 1 in. of rain has fallen. ■ The crops generally are looking remarkably well, and given a moderate rainfall this coming month of November a successful season in this district will be assured. • Pastures never looked better, and feed is in abundance. Green feed is lasting out, and the general intention is to chaff it. A large area is to be planted to mangels. Crops of winter wheat are splendid : their condition points to their becoming too heavy. All other crops have an exceptionally good appearance.— M. Taylor. Clyde. The month of October has been very stormy, and there has been frequent cold snaps, with a good coating of snow on the highlands. Some heavy gales were experienced. Heavy rain fell for several hours on the 25th instant, and did a great deal of good. Grass is making satisfactory growth. Winter wheat is coming on well, but oats are .rather' backward. — T. N. Baxter. Naseby.—-The weather this month has been very cold. There were two slight falls of snow with occasional showers and accompanied by frost. These conditions have kept back both grass and crops. The high winds have had the effect of giving the plain a very dry appearance,.with the exception of the Paerau (Styx) district. The outlook at present is not bright. Pastures are backward, and green crops are not coming away too well. Grain crops are also making a little headway.— A. T. N. Simpson.

Palmerston South. The weather during the month has been extremely changeablesamples of midsummer and midwinter in the one day. Slight falls of snow have taken place on high country on more than one occasion. No real beneficial rain fell throughout the month, but there were frequent showers followed ,by winds. In consequence, except in well-sheltered places, the growth in crops and pastures is slow. Turnip lands require rain. Though growth is slow, pastures are looking well, but the grass-grub is doing considerable damage. Autumn-sown rape has done well. Mangels are being more extensively sown. Grain crops looking fair. C. S. Dalgliesh. ' ' '’ ' Lawrence. Weather has been very stormy and broken, with rain, wind, hail, and snow, upon high levels especially. A good many lambs perished upon individual places. Rough weather retarded'farming operations for a short time. Sufficient moisture has fallen to ensure moisture for crops up to the middle of December, providing we have no high winds. ' . ’ ' ' ' Pastures are looking well, also winter wheat; there will probably be an excess of straw. Other crops have a promising appearance.' R. Barron. Sutton.-Owing to the want of sufficient rainfall during the past winter and spring, pastures are very backward on the plain, and the outlook for the summer is anything but promising. ■ ' Pastures are. very bare, and cattle are in low condition. Grain crops have a promising appearance. W. Scott. Tabanui.The weather during the past month has been a succession of cold snaps, with a fair amount of moisture. Growth has consequently been slow. Farm-work is well ahead this season, having had practically no delay through wet ground. Prospects look much better in the Roxburgh and Miller’s Flat district this season, having had up to the present a fair share of moisture, but throughout all the districts heat is now wanted. Old pastures are making very slow growth, but young pastures are looking well. In portions of the Crookston district pastures are badly grubbed, but the remainder of the district is fairly free. Roxburgh and Miller’s Flat pastures are better than during past six years. What crops there are are looking well.— J. McCulloch. Balclutha.The weather of October was the worst experienced for some years. The month started with frost to 6 degrees, and for the past three weeks we have had bad gales and hail-showers with a fairly good amount. of rain, which have weakened the effects of the winds. However, all agricultural pursuits are looking well. Lambing was early this year, and having escaped the rough weather the results are very promising. Pastures are looking well, and the appearance of the crops is very good.— A. Munro. ' . Owaka.— weather has been very stormy, with a good amount of rain : in fact, it has been showery pretty well every day. The weather has favoured agricultural pursuits, giving all crops that have been sown a real good start. The grass has come away very well except on hill country. • The weather has been suitable for green crops. Little grain is grown here, but the crops are looking well. —- T. D. Urquhart. " Gore.—The month has been very rough and stormy. A good deal of rain has fallen, but has generally been followed y high winds. Farm-work has been somewhat delayed during the unfavourable weather, and the pastures have also received a check. During the earlier part of the month there was every prospect of a rapid growth, but owing to the high, drying winds of the past week there is still need of more rain. During the past month rain fell on eighteen days : total fall for month, 3-01 in. ; highest fall, 0-60 in. on the 15th; mean average temperature, 49-5 degrees. A. A. Scott. On the more sheltered lands feed is plentiful, but in less favoured locations feed is still short. Green feed is looking well, and the small area planted to grain crops promises a satisfactory return.— B. Grant. ■ • Invercargill.—Rain fell on twenty days, total fall as recorded by Messrs. J. Lennie and Sons, Waikiwi, being 4-70 in. ; but as the winter proved exceptionally fine the rainfall was required. Cold wind, hail, and sleet showers, however, retarded the growth of grass, cereals, &c. . Only an odd warm day or two experienced throughout the month. Heat is now wanted. Young grass .is looking well, with the exception of portions, attacked by the grub. Old pastures are bare on account of the unfavourable weather. Green feed, grown on a small scale, has done fairly well, but grain crops, also limited in area, are not. making much headway.— J. R. Whyborn. " . - -- . --

Lumsden. —October has been one of the wettest months of the year. Heavy rains and occasional slight falls of snow and hail, accompanied by severely cold winds, retarding all growth. Pastures have benefited by recent rains. Green feed is none too -plentiful.- Oats are looking well.— W. 8. 8. Cantrell. Queenstown. —During first fortnight in October the weather, was fine ; since then cold weather from the south with snow has been experienced over the whole of this district. In Upper Wakatipu runholders state that it has been the worst weather that they have had at this season for twenty years, and they anticipate a heavy loss in lambs. Pastures are very backward, and green feed is scarce. Cropping is only done- on a small scale, but the cereals planted are looking well.— Clarke. • ■ Pembroke. This season is fully a month later than .usual, no doubt owing to the exceptionally cold winds and late frosts, grass and crops generally being in consequence not as far advanced at this time of the year as is usual. The heavy , rains about the middle of the month (although cold and stormy) were just in time, and were welcomed by the farmers. . The weather on the whole was more or less stormy —cold southerly winds. The mortality among young lambs was slighter than was anticipated; in general the lambing was good. ‘ The grass has. got a fair start. Farmers are trying lucerne on a small scale. Winter wheat, all sown in the autumn, is promising, as is the spring wheat. Barely enough oats are grown for local requirements. 1 Shearing has now commenced, and there are no idle men in the district. The general outlook is very promising'all round.— -J. A. Griffith. ' '