THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13008, 9 January 1908, Page 7

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Tho temperature in the shade in the city yesterday reached only 69deg., and altogether the day was an acceptable' change from tho heat of Tuesday. A cool north-easter was blowing for the greater portion of the day. At sunrise at Ashburton yesterday morning the sky was ororcast with i.dense watery-looking clouds, and at 5 o'clock a drizzle set in from the south-east. It. kept on for several hours, but tho moisture was so fine that it hung in tho air, and did' not even wet the asphalted footways, except in places where is dripped off the loaves of overhanging trees. The clouded sky and moisture-laden atmosphere had th© effect of giving vegetation a chance of somewhat recovering from the effecto of th© excessivo heat experienced on Tuesday. This is of great importance, for large areas of tho root crops aro now in a very crirfcal stage, and everj cloudy day helps them to hold out. In conversation! yesterday with a "Press" representative, on© of Ashburton'e oldest residents remarked:—"l have been down her© over 30 years, and I never before felt th© heat anything lik© what it was between on© and two o'clock on Tuesday." Th© clouds began to disperse at two o'clock yesterday afternoon, but they gathered up again later on, and there were further indications of rain. The harvest operations are now pretty general in many parts of the district, and though the reapers and binders may have been stopped in some localities. for an hour or two in th© morning, they would bo at work again in the afternoon. So far as any reliable information can be gained as to the correct readings of thermomet*rs, the heat at Ashhurton on. Tuesday afternoon (99.5deg.) is a record for tbo South Island. Mr J. Young, th© Domain Curator, does not know of so high a temperature having been recorded in any other southern' centre. Exceptionally hot, dry weather has been experienced at Darfield (writes our correspondent) for some weeks now, the hottest day this season being Tuesday, when the thermometer registered lOddeg. in the sun. Temperatures taken during the day were aa follows:' —9 a.m., 05dog. sun, 76deg. shade; 10 a.m./98deg. sun, 80deg. shade; 11 a.m., 102 dog. sun, 86deg. shade; 12 noon, 106deg. sun, 92deg. shade; 1 p.m., lOldeg. sun, 94deg shade. The temperature remained very high until about 3 p.m., after which it gradually fell. The temperature was recorded on a glass tube suspended four feet from the ground, and not enclosed in any way. The next hottest day was Sonday, December 29th, the following being the records :-~9. a.m., 92deg. sun, Sldeg. shad©; 10 a.ro., 96dog. sun", 84 • oeg. shads; 11 a.m., 98deg. sun, 89deg. , shade; 12 noon, 102deg. sqn, 94degi ' shade.. Needless ,to say, tbo extrome heat was much felt. Stock for the most part was to be seen standing ' about in water races, where there was no shelter to ,be had. Yesterday morning-rain threatened, hut none fefl. A nice shower fell last, Sunday after, noon, hut lasted no time, only .06in being recorded. . _ The thermometer at Leeston and Southbridge on Tuesday- registered a very high temperature. The beat wave will have a .most disastrous effect on the standing crops, and noWthstandmg harvesting operations, rain is badly : needed."/ ■■•";••'■.•:■.'■'■'.'■..•••■.,■-"■ ':".i'-" '*our Leeston correspondent Jflhe, foUowrng was the «infsfi at Beachctoft, near' Soothhridge/ A* He- , • ©ember s—o.7Bin fell, on three days. Maximum fall 0.42 in on the 19th,'Pre-'•-'■:' twos aywage (eleven years)/2.23in^ r Total rainfall for twelve months ending December SUb, 19.80 in. /iTotal :o!ays v Maximum fall, 1.47w v (on February 16th and August Slot). Previous average for twelve month*, 23.62ixt0 Annual '. rainfall >—1897. 8 ' 18 -86ia J 1899,: »^oinj ; j 1900,. 1601, m.SSinr 26.96 m;. Iflo3, 21.07»n; 1004/ 1905, 32.12 in; 1906. 20.12 in; 19.60 in. ■. ;-.•' ',-:■: •;•;■; y-' r - :: -X'- ■ ■':■■ :'.;■■:■■■'■■ :■'*■'■ ' graphed last night > dry: ; ~? weather is bemg experienced l»a», hot v ft is not effecting the crops ' - South, where the dry weather suite them on account of there being mar©'-''' moistore;in the North.--'" ■"/■ :: -.J■:■!*;■ :^.. : --v"v-- ; :v' ; v■>i--.-.<;,■■:■-:'(■':-:, in the Waimeee: V'" full advantage of the fine weatKar," f? d J**? T«yV *w*y '• naxvesting (saw " Monday's Nekon >?Tae ;"i crops are looking weE, • and?t£e;yi&H proonaes tobe weDnp to the average. • ':•' ; . A large area this season was put down in oate, and a oonaidereafe qMatitjrof; barley few aa"k«.have :^Ukm~vAii^ :»;tu. but it is expected that tie pans will - be satisfactory t&lhaSgjccm^W^'^-: harvesting is now general in all psoEai of the diatrkV and crops are in stook": everywhere.; -Tbe-'hay . : «f^ v 'teJ«raJ|' v '-:: ; .>' round, ■ has; been aat«ifaotory. One aspact, of, the early; hamsst-Hrhioh m :■£ ■■■ .'-i 1 / rail month, ahead of the ostial time—" f | U that at show fanners will not be too busy with harvesting operations [to visit the annual fair, and this \ should prov» a beneficial matter for the A. and P. - Reports of the oocksfoot harvest on the Peninsula/ generally". are more favourable as ■ "the'•'.'r©u-fctmg>''' ; pto-'.v ceeds (writes our Akatoe ©or-/ respondent), and the shortage in the yield will not he so great as was at first anticipated. '; The bttflc \ of the seed is clean, though light/but in some places -both bright and heavy. The dry, hot weather continues, and consequently' paddocks. have ripened; fast. Outside labour is very scarce, and from l»'6d to 2s per hoar is being, offered for reapers. 6ome fow paddocks are now out out. Bain would be beneficial to help the heads to shed . freely when .being threshed. Our Soutti Rakaia correspondent re- '' ports that harvest is now general over/ that district. Tho pcomise of many • I heavy yields indicated six weeks ago has not been realised, the reason being the dryness and excessively hot- weather. The .crops, both wheat and oats, vary very much, and the former is holding out pretty well on the better class of land. Some oats have been threshed in various parts of the riding, the result being from 25 to 60 bushels per acre-of fair grain. Turnips have been largely town, and there ar© many splendid strikes; only good rains can keep them going. Rape has not been at all a success this year, and feed is scare©. Fortunately, so far th© waterraces have carried a good supply. Tuesday was tho hottest day experienced for some years. Tfaere_ was a very light but very hot wind till after three o'clock, when, a steady cold breeze from tbo south-east came along. During the night there was a slight' drizzle, and it was thought there would b© rain. It did not come, however, and tho sun was very hot again yesterday. Lots of men aro about now, but the harvest will bo a short one. Borne really good orops of grass seed have bean harvested. Our Wellington correspondent telegraphs that the weather continues very dry, though apparently the dry spell has not been so bad as in th© South Island. Nevertheless, most farmers ore crying out for rain, and indiscriminate garden hbsrng is being stepped .in the- city. There seems ©very prospect of a oontmuanco of the present fine weather. .