THE NEED FOR RAIN

WHOLE ISLAND SUFFERING O.C. AUCKLAND, This Day. Two instances can be quoted of production being benefited by the prolonged spell of dry weather throughout the country. Beekeepers report an uncommonly large yield of honey in every district where large apiaries are situated, and viticulturists expect a good grape harvest because of the hot, dry weather. In every other sphere of agricultural activity, however, the prevailing conditions have persisted so long that an alarming deterioration of crops and stock has resulted. The many ambitious vegetable-grow-ing schemes in the North Island are really in jeopardy. Further planting of rotation crops has either been suspended or greatly curtailed. Even if, rain in sufficient quantity should fall I soon, it will come too late to aid the recovery of many acres of wilted and retarded vegetables. Cows are drying off months before the usual time, and domestic milk supplies have been maintained by drawing on herds at a considerable distance from the metropolitan area. A man who travelled extensively over the North Island last week reported yesterday that pastures in the Waikato and the vicinity of Auckland were in , better case than those in Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa, and Wellington. Fruit-growers have had a disappointing season, and poultry-keepers have reported an alarming falling-off recently in egg production. The heat and lack of green feed has caused many laying birds to go into an early moult, i and the pullets are backward. Duck j eggs came on the market in greatly increased quantities during the flush of the season, but they, too, have fallen off. An authority on egg production! stated yesterday that the number of eggs being sent to distributors was reduced by about 50 per cent, compared with a month or six weeks ago. Regarding vyater supplies, the metropolitan area is in a more satisfactory position than it was at this season last year, but the draw-off remains greater than the daily intake of the dams by approximately 10,000,000 gallons.