Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 102
Image details
| Year | 1940 |
|---|---|
| Transcription |
|
| OCR Text |
192 CEREAL AND OTHER CROPS OF SCOTLAND FOR 1939. CAIrHNEss-SHIRE. Wheat—Small acreage grown; crops were _good; 60 bushels per acre; grain and straw were better quality than last year; seed sown, 4 bushels per acre. Barley—Crops similar to previous year ; average yield, 44 bushels per acre ; straw shorter; grain of good quality; seed sown, 4 bushels per acre, Oats—Crops not so heavy as last year; straw shorter, very little lodged; grain and straw good quality; average yield about 40 bushels per acre; straw, 1% to 2 tons per acre; seed sown, 4 to 7 bushels per acre. Harvest—Began about a week or ten days earlier than in 1938; many farms had begun cutting in the last week of August; weather was favourable and crops were secured in good condition. Hay—An average crop; better quality than last year; average quantity, 2 to 3 tons per acre. JlIcadow Hay—Rather less productive than in previous year; quality was better; not spoiled by rain to the same extent as last year. Potatoes—Crops were better than last year; tubers bigger and healthier; not much evidence of disease; average yield, 5 tons per acre; no new varieties planted. Turnips—Better than in 1938 in quantity and quality; average yield, 25 to 28 tons per acre; crop brairded well; no I‘eSOWing necessary. Insects—Very little damage done. Weeds—Crops not much injured; charlock abundant in corn crops, and thistles in pastures; damage rather less than usual. Pastit'res—VVere slow of growth in May and June, but improved later. Lice Stock—Did not make rapid progress in May and J une ; weather was cold and pastures bare; improved during autumn months; sheep were subject to attack by the maggot-fly, but otherwise sheep and cattle were free from disease. Clip of W ool—Average, and of good quality. ORKNEY. W heat—None grown. Barley—Bere variety grown; grain, 30 to 35 bushels per acre; straw, 25 to 30 cwt. per acre; bushel weight, 45 to 50 lb. ; seeding, 3:} to 4 bushels per acre. Oats— Grain, 40 to 60 bushels per acre; straw, 30 to 35 cwt. per acre; bushel weight, 38 to 42 lb. ; seeding, 4 to 5 bushels per acre; and of larger grained varieties, 6 to 7 bushels per acre. Harvest—Coni- menced a few days later than usual, but this handicap was entirely offset by the almost unprecedented excellence of the weather; the work was completed in record time and the crop built in first-rate condition. Hay—The yield was about average, say 30 to 40 cwt. per acre ; clover was plentiful, and the harvest weather good. 111 eadow Hay—Similar to the previous year. Potatoes—Yield and quality better than for previous year, and disease less prevalent; yield, 5 to 8 tons per acre; blight again occurred in some districts; no report on new varieties. Turnips—Yield, 18 to 28 tons per acre; crop was of better quality than last year, but considerable damage resulted from severe frosts during January ; some damage by vermin reported. Insects—No damage to report. W cede—Some damage by charlock in certain, and especially island, districts ; in some districts thistles tended to spread. Pastures—Perhaps not quite so good as usual, especially during the early part of the season. Live Stockw Made good progress, and were mostly free of disease; one or two cases of suspected grass-sickness amongst horses reported. Clip 0f W col—Of average quality and quantity. SHETLAND. Wheat—None grown. Bere—Good crop; the yield CEREAL AND OTHER CROPS OF SCOTLAND FOR 1939. 193 and quality very similar to that of last year ; bushel weight, 51 lb. ; yield of grain, 25 bushels per acre. Oats—Good crop; very much better quality, though with less bulk of straw than in the previous year, and superior yield of grain ; 40 to 42 bushels per acre ; bushel weight, 36 to 40 lb. Harvest—Earlier than usual. Bere harvest commenced about middle of August ; oats during first week in Sep- tember, which is about a fortnight earlier than usual. Hay—The yield was lower than last year, while the quality also was slightly inferior; yield, .18 to 22 cwt. per acre. Meadow Hay—Rather less productive than in 1938. Potatoes—Crop yield, 4 to 7 tons per acre ; very similar to last year ; quality slightly better ; very little disease ; Redskin continued to give satisfactory results. Turnipsteight and quality of crop very similar to last year, 16 to 20 tons per acre; braird only fair due to cold winds experienced at seed-time, though res-owing unnecessary. I insects—Very little damage caused ; cabbage root fly and cabbage moth caterpillar caused slight damage in localised districts ; damage caused similar to previous years. WeedsflDamage due to charlock average. Pastures—Similar to last year. Livc Stock~Throve well; rather better than during the previous year, which was wetter; little disease among cattle and sheep, liverfluke among sheep now being widely treated. Clip of Wool—Average both in yield and quality; demand better than last year; moorit, 22s. per lb. ; purc Shetland white, ls. 10d. per lb. ; black and grey, ls. (5d. per lb. . . i |
| Title | Transactions of RHASS Volume 1940 - Page 102 |
