TIMELY RAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIV, Issue 76, 31 March 1913, Page 8

TIMELY RAIN.

BI'SH FIRES QUELLED. WHANG ARET, Saturday. Timely rain is now falling throughout the district, and as a result the bush fires are practically at an end. The fires bad been fanned by the hig-h winds of the past few days, and settlere incurred further losses of fencing and grassJn the Ka-itara district the flameß did a great deal of damage to nine settlers' •properties, ;>nd destroyed a large portion of thy bush on Mairnu Mountain. In the Mania district Mr. M. Davidson, a hush contractor, Joet a portion of his bullock team in a grass fire, the animals being unaible to escape from the enclosure. In the Manhakahia Valley the fires have been especially bad. One of the settlers there wae riding across a paddock whon he was intercepted by the flamee. He was unable to get his horse throujrji the fence, and had to abandon it to itri late. The fire nan very serious in the Omana district, where Messrs. Sloan's and 11. Uawken's properties were prattically swept cJean. Other districts that have Buffered include Lower Mangakahia, Otonga, Marua, acd Kaiatea.

On the Hikurangi Swamp evidence of the drought te the fact that the fire has r.wept through portions "f green kahikatea. and the fact that the fojiage of oUi-er native trees hae turned brown in colour. Paspalum wherr. sown has stood well, end it has alao helped to prevent the firss from spreading.