GOOD RAIN.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19929, 16 May 1930, Page 10

GOOD RAIN.

GENERAL OVER PLAINS.

TOO LATE FOR PASTURES.

The rain which began to fall In Christchurch, and in many parts of Canterbury, yesterday afternoon, and which became heavier as the evening drew into the night, will be to most people decidedly welcome. Except in the Arthur's Pass district there was no exceptionally heavy rain. After an overcast day Christchurch felt the first few drops early in tho afternoon, and in no parts of the plains did tho downfall begin before that time.

In the north, around Kaikoura, perfect weather was experienced until late afternoon. Then the sky became gloomy and overcast until a drizzling rain set in at about 9 o'clock, in the evening. From Christchurch to Kaikoura this gradual approach of the rain was experienced yesterday. Darfield's rain yesterday, however, occurred mostly between three and four o'clock in the afternoon; after that only a very slight drizzle set in. At Oxford the atmosphere became perceptibly colder as the clouds approached. The rain began there at six o'clock in the evening, but the opinion was expressed that a little wind would have done more good, as many windmills, forced by the calm weather to remain idle, had been unable to work , the water pumps for some time past. Banks Peninsula felt the nor'-west wind until about 7.30 yesterday evening. Then a drizzling rain began which slowly increased in intensity, but which at no time' could be called heavy.

Going further south, towards Ashburton, similar conditions to those prevailing in the north had been experienced during the day. The morning and afternoon had been dull and overcast, and moderate rain had begun; in the evening. At Ashburton itself a heavy fog at about 7.30 p.m. preceded the rain, which later began to fall steadily. Effect In Country.

Although the rain will be welcomed by agriculturists it may not be an unmixed blessing to the farming community generally. Feed is very scarce, and as rain at this late period is usually accompanied by snow on the ranges and a low temperature on the plains, wintry conditions are more than probable. The rain is too late to cause any response in growth, and a continuance of the warm days with occasional frosty nights that have prevailed during the last few weeks probably would be more agreeable to stockowners than the conditions that may follow the present visitation. Reserves of winter feed are likely to be called upon sooner than was expected, and as these are much reduced on account of the exceptionally dry autumn, the outlook for the winter is far from encouraging. This position Is not peculiar to Canterbury, but extends through North Otago to a more marked degree, and to some extent to South Otago. To the agriculturist, however, the rain will be doubly welcome, as ploughing and general cultivation work have been very seriously retarded in most districts by the unworkable conditionof the soil. Considering the time of the season remarkably little land has been turned over for wheat, and the present rain will enable much of this leeway to be made up. This necessity ia the most pressing at the moment, so that generally the rain will "be welcomed. Stock owners whose supplies of winter feed are meagre will be the least enthused by the break, should it be followed, that is, by a fall in the temperature.