IMMENSE BENEFIT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 80, 15 January 1940, Page 6

IMMENSE BENEFIT

RAIN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. SOME WHEAT CROPS FLATTENED. NO SERIOUS DAMAGE DONE. LATE GROWTHS GREATLY HELPED. AVidespread benefits will accrue throughout Ashburton County as a result of the heavy rain which fell over the week-end, and while it is reported that on the heavier land there are cases of crops having been flattened by the rain and the accompanying wind, the damage in this way is said to ho not serious, as those crops can be picked up and harvested, when they dry out, without great, trouble. The feature of the wot spell has been the giving of now life to late crops of wheat and oats, while the change of the conditions will mean all the difference between failure and success with the rape, turnip, potato and late pea crops, to say nothing of the way the grasslands will come away. A iieturn to warm weather will probably see many of the flattered crops standing up fairly well again, but in the cases where they are too badly flattened there should not be a great deal of trouble in the harvesting of the grain, as modern machinery is able to cope with such crops. Even with the reaper, flattened crops can be lifted if the work is tackled iii the right way, so that the week-end should go down as one of the best the farmers have had for a long time. The flattening of crops has been reported from the heavier land area, hut in other areas it is said that the crops have stood up to the rain "and wind very well. Many of the crops affected were ready for harvesting before the rain came, and the work of harvesting generally has been put back a few days till the sun can come out again and dry up the surface. Of course, crops in this state were too far advanced for the rain to bring any benefit to them, hut there are many others which will show a much better filling-out now that the ground, dry for so long, has been given a second and thorough wetting.

The fall over the whole County, greater in some areas than in others, was about three inches. The last good rains in the area were those in August, when the total for the month was nearly four inches, hut up till the fall 'at Christmas there has been, only an inch and a-half in September and a little over an inch in November, which would all have given considerable aid to crops had it not. been for the 'long series of north-west winds which took away much of the moisture before it had a chance to do any good, while on top of that there were weeks on end when the sun baked the plains from morning till-night. Heaviest Falls Yesterday. Starting on Saturday morning, the rain continued without -a break up to the small hours of this morning, when, though the sky remained! heavily clouded over, there were signs of a definite break and there were glimpses of sunshine around the horizon. The temperature rose invitingly, too, and the indications were for a return at an early date to the sunny conditions of the last three weeks. The heaviest falls were recorded yesterday, when there we,re periods of exceptionally heavy rain in all parts of the district. In Ashburton the rain was more persistent than elsewhere. | except in the Methven township, according to reports received to-day, the total being 295 points. In other places the totals weive slightly smaller, though in each case yesterday produced the greatest downpours. Registrations of rain made at several points over the three days were:

At Methvcn township there Avas a registration of 3£ inches, and near the. Rakaia Gorge the. fall totalled 298 points. Of the Ashburton .registrations, there 'w ; as a fall of 22 points between 9.30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday, Avliile between 9.30 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. yesterday there Averei 133 points. The meteorological observations made at Ashburton during the Aveekend shewed maximum temperatures of 54.9 degrees for Saturday and 60.1 degrees yesterday Avliile the lowest readings for the two periods were 4/7.2 degrees and 47.9 degrees, respectively. The barometer stood at 29.31 inches at 9 a.m. yesterday and at 29.33 inches this morning. In the Lauriston district the heavy rain was welcomed by farmers. Rape, turnips and young grass which Avere suffering from the diry spell Avill greatly benefit. Farmers may uoav be able to carry tliei sheep. Avhich up to the present * they have been sending to the works as soon as they reached a moderate Avcight. Crops have taken on. a Icon, but Avith Avarm weather. it is expected! they Avill come back again. “The few losses of newly-shorn sheep and the very slight damage to crops are considerably offset by the immense benefit derived genera ly, from this rain,” said a fanner of the Moth von district. “The wheat suffered no real harm and Avill soon re•coA’cr, Avliile our lead fpi* the winter is now assured.” The total rainfall registered at “Rudstone' up to this morning was 2.94 inches, Avliile at the Methven Post Office the total was almost 31 inches. Light Snow on the Ranges. A cold snap accompanied - the rain on the higher levels, and tine, ranges were lightly covered with snow. A strong Avind caused some minor damage in the> coastal districts. A farmer of the area said that his crops avP/Tc leaning over considerably, but with sunshine they Avouhl take little time to recover. “The rain 'was most acceptable to all of us.” lie added. There Avas- a considerable rise in the levels of the County riyers as a result of the downpour. The Rakaia was

well up yesterday and at one stage was almost washing over the old bridge. The Ashburton was also in flood but the rain stopped before it reached a dangerous level. SMALL LOSSES OF STOCK. NEWLY-SHORN SHEEP SUFFER. Sheep that have only lately been shorn suffered some hardship in parts of the County over the week-end. but it is reported that while there have been losses of such sheep, the numbers are small, taking the district as a whole. Numerous inquiries made by telephone this morning in areas in most sections of the County brought to light only two instances of losses, one of 70 sheep that had been shorn last week, at Methven, and one of a few sheep, also lately shorn, nearer Ashburton.

The earlier stages of the wet spell werq comparatively warm, but with the coming of the strong southerly wind yesterday conditions were not so good and sheep that did not. have much wool on their backs felt the effects. There were cases where newly-shorn sheep had to be taken to shelter to save them from the cold wind, but it is believed that the sheep which went through the sheds for shearing a few weeks ago were not troubled seriously. STATE OF ROADS IN THE NORTH. Advice was received by Mr J. Bathgate, representative of the Automobile Association (Canterbury; tu-uay that both the main north and south roads 'were clear but it was necessary to make a detour at Little ltivor to get through to Akaroa. Latest advices were that the Lewis Pass and Otira Gorge roads were clear. TO-DAY’S FORECAST. . WELLINGTON, This Day. The Government Meteorologist, at noon to-day, issued the following statement regarding the weather ■ The cyclone recently reported is now centred to the.south-east of the South Island, while a weak secondary is crossing the central districts. The forecast for the east coast of the South Island from Blenheim to Oamaru is as follows: Bathgate, representative of the Aufoerate to fresh but later decreasing, Weather rather changeable with some scattered sliowqrs but improving from the north. Temperatures moderate. Seas moderate with a southerly swell.

'Sat. Sun. Mon. Tl. Ashburton ... 16 63 216 295 An am a, ... 34 109 140 283 Methven ... S 114 172 294 tPendarves 271