Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 095
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| Year | 1940 |
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.H" 178 CEREAL AND OTHER CROPS OF SCOTLAND FOR 1939. Harvest—Began about a week later than last year. Hay—Rather better than last year both in quality and quantity; 25 to 30 cwt. per acre. llIeadow H ay—Not a great deal grown. Potatoes—Average crop; 7 to 8 tons per acre; the digging of early varieties began a week earlier than in previous years; Arran Pilot is doing very well ; and seed trade good for stock seed of that variety. Turnips_ Crops are getting to be a failure on many farms due to disease or black heart. Insects—Crops not injured to any extent. Weeds~ Redshank a common enemy, as it is so persistent in life. Pastures— Were very good throughout the season, and continued late ; lime has proved a great tonic to Arran lands. Live Stock—Sheep and cattle throvo very well, but sheep prices poorest for many years; the opposite is the case for cattle, for which there is great demand. Clip of W col—J ust about the average, but prices poor. LANARKSHLRE (Upper Ward). Wheel—Only small quantities grown. Barley—None grown. Oats—40 to 65 bushels per acre; grain and straw of very good quality; seed sown, 5 to 6 bushels per acre. Harvest—Commenced end of August; earlier than usual by about ten days. Hay—A fair crop; much better secured than last year; 2 to 3 tons per acre. JlIeadow Hay—Not so heavy as in previous year, but secured in good condition. Potatoes—7 to 10 tons per acre; an exceptionally good crop ; lifted and secured in perfect condition; no disease. Turnips—15 to 25 tons per acre; a poor crop; brairded badly owing to dry weather; some resowing, but most of seed lay dormant until rain came. Insects—N0 damage done. lVecds——Very few owing to dry weather. Pastures—Fair up till July, but improved greatly in September. Live Stock—Throve well and kept free from disease. Clip of Wool—Above average. LANARKSHIRE (Middle and Lower Wards). W hcut—Threshed ex- ceptionally well; 30 cwt. per acre of grain, and from 30 to 35 cwt. of straw; straw of first-class quality, and grain in good condition; seed sown, 3.} to 4 bushels per acre. Barley—None grown. Oats! Crop shorter of straw than last year, but threshed from 30 to 35 cwt. per acre; straw, 25 cwt. per acre; grain sample good, and straw of first-class quality. Harvest—Cominenced in the third week of August, and in the later districts in the beginning of September; dates practically similar to last year. Hay—First cut ryegrass and clover yielded 40 to 50 cwt. per acre of good quality. Meadow Hay~ 45 to 50 cwt. per acre; quality also good. Potatoes—8 to 9 tons per acre; similar to last year’s yield; tubers small in size; very little disease visible. Tui'nips—Yield, 25 to 30 tons per acre ; crop sound; no resowing required. Insects The carrot-fly did more damage than in 1938, with the result that a considerable area of this crop disappeared. Weeds—Owing to the favourable season, seasonal weeds were easily kept down, and consequently no damage was done to growing crops. Pastures!The grazing season was not so favourable as last year, and on the lighter land the pastures suffered from drought. Live Stock—Did well on pasture, notwithstanding the drought, but larger quantities of concentrated feeding—stuffs had to be fed; cattle and sheep were free from disease. Clip of WOOL“ Yield up to the average ; unfortunately the market price did not come up to expectations ; so far, few sales of the 1939 clip have taken place- OEREAL AND OTHER CROPS OF SCOTLAND FOR 1939. 179 1thEREWSHIRE. Wheat—Crop variable but on the whole under average; yield of grain, from 20 to 30 cwt. per acre; straw, 20 to 25 cwt. per acre: seed sown, 3 to 4 bushels per acre. Barley—None gro\\'11. Oats—A poor crop, much below average; yield, 18 to 25 cwt. of both grain and straw per acre; seed sown, 5 to 6 bushels 1m- acre. Harvesz'r—Commenced about 12th August, a week earlier than last year, and finished about middle of September, much earlier than in 1938 (which was an exceptionally bad harvest) ; the weather, although dry, was much too close to be good harvest weather, and in consequence much grain was led before it was in proper con- dition for stacking _: it was reported that in sheltered fields sheaves “ere moulding in the stooks, due to the closeness of the weather. Huff-«One of the lightest crops for many years, owing to drought; yield, 20 to 30 cwt. per acre ; secured in good order. Meadow Hay— l.iltle grown; crop also poor; secured in good order. Potatoes—— An exceptionally good crop; in the earlier districts, where potato- growing is a specialised business, record crops were dug; yields, M‘UOlld earlies, 10 to 13 tons per acre; main crops, Kerr’s Pink, 10.1. to 12% tons per acre; Golden Wonder, 8 to 9 tons per acre; not much blight evident in the growing crop, but quite considerable “astage in the pit from the disease; no new varieties planted. Turnips—«Good crops ; 25 to 35 tons per acre, but in several instances extensive damage done by crews at thinning time; crop brairded quickly and well, despite the dry weather, and no resowing reported. liwectsto unusual damage reported. Weeds!Less prevalent than Usual due to dry weather during the growing period, which was a blessing, as labour, for weeding, &c., was almost impossible to get. Pastures AS last year, suffered from drought till end of June, but tlureafter grazed well right on till Christmas, when they were checked by frost. Live Stock—Throve well, and disease no more prevalent than usual. Clip of W col—Average for quantity and quality. ARCYLLSHLRE (Lochgilphead). W heat—Practically none grown. Um-lcygNone grown. 0ats——Very good crop and well secured ; about 35 bushels of grain and 20 to 25 cwt. of straw per acre ; seed sewn, 5 to 6 bushels per acre, according to variety. Harvesb—About a week earlier than usual. Hay—A light crop owing to deficiency of rain in early summer ; quality good ; about 1 ton per acre. Alcadow Hay—About the same as in previous year, but much better secured. Potatoes—Very good; about 8 tons per acre of the heavy cropping varieties ; no disease. Turnips—About the same as last year ; about 25 tons per acre; crop brairded well on the whole, and there “as not much resowing. Insects—NO injury to any extent. Weeds —No great damage done. Pastures—Were of average growth and quality. Dive Stock—Did very well; cattle and sheep were free from disease. Clip of Week—Average. . ARGYLLSHIRE (Kintyre). Wheab—Only about 5 or 6 acres grown _1n district; sowing seriously delayed by wet weather in autumn and early winter; yield about 20 cwt. per acre; seed sown, 3 to 3% bushels per acre. Barley—A rather larger acreage under barley than in preceding year; yields higher and got in good condition; 18 to 22 cwt. per acre ; seed sown, usually 3% to 4 bushels per acre ; straw rather Shorter than in previous year; crops generally stood |
| Title | Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 095 |
