WEATHER AND CROPS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 13902, 29 November 1910, Page 8

WEATHER AND CROPS.

Heavy rain fell at Methven nearly all Saturday night. On Sunday night some heavy showers fell, and yesterday loud thunder was heard frequently, atid some heavy dark clouds passed along the south-east quarter. At -1 p.m. heavy rain was falling, and the weather looked « s if j t { la j broken properly. The change is looked upon us a perfect God-eend, and will ease the mind of many a struggling farrucr wno, up to the present, had every reason to believe that the harvest would be meagre in the extreme.

Further very beneficial rains fell throughout the Malvern district on Saturday and Sunday nights. The previous week had been hot and dry, the thermometer iast Thursday registering S3 degrees in the shade, and all traces of the previous rainfall had quite vanished. At IXirfield .37 inch of rain was registered for Saturday night and Sunday morning, and .13 inch of ram on Sunday night. The rainfall appears to have been general throughout the district, and will materially assist growing crops and pastures. Rape and turnips, which had been given a splen- J did start a fortnight ago, are promising well, and if only rain will fall occasionally these crotis will do ■well, m spite of the season being well advanced. Yesterday a thunderstorm passed over the district, rain falling in most parts. Several districts close to the hills report showers of hail, but as the storm was not oi long duration, little or no damage will result, as the crops are not. nearly lonir enough or heavy enough to bo laid. The rainfall for this month, so far, totals 1.72 inches, as against L'.B() inches for November last year. There was another rainfall at Ashburton during Sunday night, and though only nine points wore registered, it was a welcome addition to the twenty points which fell on Saturday nig.it, and will have a most beneficial effect. .Several thunder showers passed over various parts of the district yesterday. A steady rain started to fall at Cust on Saturday evening, and continued through the night, and has greatly improved the look of things. This, however, will only be a temporary benent, unless the district, gets two or tiiree days more showery weather. It will take a lot of rain to have the. desired effect upon the grass, for at this time of the year the power of the «?un soon dries the surface of the grass land. Tne crops, however, will be greatly benefited by the fall. Yesterday at Cust there was a heavy thunderstorm, and rain, with bail, in torrents. Between S o'clock on Saturday evening and '2 o'clock on Sunday afternoon, Waikari was favoured with a very refreshing easterly rain. Farmers generally are now sure of a fairly good barvest.

Heavy vains fell at Greenpark during Saturday night ;iud .Sunday night that should prove of groat value to all branches oi agriculture and to the general health of the community. The crops in this low-lying country—although they would have benefited by a greater rainfall this year—are looking very well, there being numerous fields about of wheat in ear and promising a good yield. The present rain should be very helpful to them, but more so, perhaps, to the pasture lands, which in many cases had the buriit-up appearance oi summer. Farmers' spirits have grown correspondingly lighter with the falling barometer, and the resultant showers. In the Eliesmero district, a light, warm r:<in set in on Saturday night. Although there was not very much* yet coming at such an opportuno time it just about counteracted the evil effects ot" the lato drought, so that crops are looking at their best in most _ places, while grass is rapidly increasing. At "Waimate, after a few cloudy days, a very acceptable rainfall occurred yesterday. Tho rain, was light, and continued but a short time, when the sky cleared, and dry weather again set in. Crops are improved, no doubt, by the good effects of these warm and moist changes, but the ground and water courses are still dry. Grain crops in some places will be fair, but in many cases over the country grain crops will be very light. The grass quickly responds to the magic touch of rain, with moist, warm atmosphere, so the pastures quickly improve; but in parts of tho county and of North Otago, mc Kurow and Hakateramea districts, are buffering severely from tho long-oon-tinucd drvness of weather and soil.

Saturday and Sunday in the Geraldine district were dull and cloudy, and rain threatened' more than once, but only a few drops fell, although rain must have fallen heavily on the hills all day on Sunday. At two o'clock yesterday morning a heavy shower fell, and again at 7 o'clock there- was a .steady downpour, which freshened things up considerably. A thunderstorm, accompanied with hail, passed over the district during the- forenoon, but fortunately thefsky cleared before any serious damage was done. Some of the hailstones were very large, and made a great racket falling on the iron roofs. Tho recent rains have caused the country to make a wonderful recovery, and prospects generally are vastly different to what they were afortnight ago. A spell of dry weather is now wanted, as shearing begins shortly on all tho big runs.

Splendid rains fell on the Peninsula, throughout Saturday and Sunday nights, and although late, as far tu* cocksfoot is concerned, will do much to improve the grass in the paddocks, the. majority of which were getting very bare, and considerable anxiety was felt by tho dairy farmers for their herds. There will be a much smaller yield of seed this year, and it is generally expected to be light. Warm, fine weather is being experienced in the Waiau district at present, and all faun operations aro being pushed rapidly forward. A large number <ii farmers are busy shearing, and the wool is turning out clean and bright. Pastures have improved wonderfully since the recent rain, and the crops aro coming on splendidly. A conMderable area <A rape and grass has been sown, and, judging by present indications, there will bo no shortage of fodder for fattening the lambs this year. There has been a good percentage of lambs throughout the district, and should conditions continue favourable there should be a record output ol fat feWck. A nice rain set in on Sunday morning and continued through the day, which will do the country good but will stop shearing for a day <jr .so. Light rains continued in the North Canterbury district yesterday, and about two p.m. a copious thunder ehower fell.

The rainfall at Kaianoi for the twenty-four hours to !).3O a.m. yesterday was .OOiii. The weather, and its parallel tho crops, have been, an absorbing, though dry subject of conversation for some tune past (says Saturday's "North Otago Times"). North Otago generally has suffered severely by tho drought, but the damage, is not so marked in the districts immediately bordering on Oamanr*. It is in th<> Northern Waitaki that the drought has had its worst effect. Near Oamaru a crop, though a meagre one, may yet be looked for; but it is doubtful if * there will be an exportable' surplus of any magnitude in tho Waitaki. On many farms north of Duntroon tho best has been made of a bad business, by turning the stock into the young crons, only enough being kept for seed pur-po-'r. This disastrous suite of affjiirs —for it is no less—will pla<-<; a heavy burden on the shoulders of many farmers, but it will press especially xipon Otekaike settlers, who, since the estab-

lishnM.nt. of tho settlement, W e esto . ' |*' nenced practically a succession of ?. M■ - year,. But with ail tho gloora «fT. : 6 clouds that are not rain clo.'ds th - would appear to be at lwrt one'bnS? " * .spot- suji«estive of a silver lining. Tha< one snot is the prospect of a potato crop. The dry weather lias &- dciitly lH>en instrumental in the irT vention of blight, and so far ns caaU learnt nt present, wherever have bwn planted they promise to tn** np well. ™