THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9603, 18 December 1896, Page 6

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

A nice warm rain began to fall yesterday afternoon, and continued for some hours.

In the North Canterbury district there is a great want of moisture, and farmers are anxiously looking for t&'w. The oat crops are coming on to premature ripeness, and at Cheviot and down to Amberley are drying off. Some oats in the North Kowai district nave been cut and threshed, the yield being very light. On the deeper soils of the Plains the grain is very short in straw, and what are coming into ear require rain to fill them. A thunder shower fell in some parts of the district, but of course it was partial and passing. Our Ashburton correspondent writes :— After much patient waiting anil many anxious fears for the salvation of the cereal and root crops, the farmers of Ashburton were yesterday afternoon rewarded by a badly-ueeded and welcome rain setting in, first from the nor , -west and then veering round and continuing from the sou'west. The rain has come just in time and will be immensely beneficial, more especially to the wheat crops. Had the rain not come many of the oat crops on the lighter lands would scarcely have been worth cutting, but most of them are still green and fresh, and if the land gets a good soaking they will lengthen out during the next fortnight. Our Rakaia correspondent wrote yesterday :—A much-needed rain has just set in, and is coming down splendidly. It is very much wanted in the district, as everything is parched and. dry. If rain had not come soon I do not know what the result would have been. All.the wells in the township are dry, and we are beginning to feel the value of good water now that it has all to be fetched from some distance.

Our Geraldine correspondent write 3:— After a long spell of dry weather welcome rain set in yesterday at 2 p.m. in the shape of a thunderstorm, which.appeared to break up the drought, and give hopes of a steady rain. At first it was thought to be only a shower, but at five o'clock it was still raining, with every appearance of lasting. Even the few hours' rain which has fallen will do immense good to the country. In some places farmers have had to turn stock on to their crops, owing to failure through the drought. A few more weeks of dry weather would have been disastrous to fanners.

(press association telegram.) STRATFORD, December 17. Heavy rain has fallen here.