NEW ZEALAND WHEAT YIELD.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
SIE,—As a reader of your paper for forty years, when I saw the letter recently regarding the record crop of 99 bushels to the acre in the island of Kaipoi, New Zealand, I immediately wrote to my brother in Sunderland, who was with his uncle. Mr. Vale, in that island in the early 'eighties, and he writes me as follows:— " I am glad you told me to see the Spectator about the record crops in N.Z. I think that will be on our old farm at Corals Island, three miles from Kaipoi, for this reason : Mr. Belcher, who grew the record crop of oats-126 bushels—owned and worked the farm next to ours. I knew him well, also his family. Our uncle, Mr. Vale, had the 100-acre field next to him. This was the largest field in the island, and will now probably be only about 70 acres, as the river was cntting into it each
year. In 1879 and 1880 Mr. Vale got 80 bushels of wheat to the acre, and 102 bushels of oats that year."
Our uncle, Mr. Vale, is long since dead, and he left no family. This might interest some of your readers.—I am, Sir, he.,
65 Carterknowle Road, Sheffield. ROBERT /CUM.
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