BENEFICIAL RAIN AT AUCKLAND

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22249, 13 November 1937, Page 14

BENEFICIAL RAIN AT AUCKLAND

UNSEASONABLE DROUGHT BROKEN

CROPS AND PASTURES SAVED

(PKES3 A.S3OCIATIOH TELIGRAM.) AUCKLAND, November 12. The hopes of the farming community for a penetrating rain to meet the needs of parched pastures were to some extent realised to-day, when showers fell in many parts of the Auckland Province.

There was a driving, intermittent rain, accompanied by a fresh to strong east-north-easterly breeze, in Auckland. It was stated from Whangarei that rain would mean a saving of thousands of pounds to primary producers in the district. Feed has been so short in some localities that farmers have been obliged to turn their stock into hay paddocks, and milk production has shown signs of falling off. Some farmers were running short of water for household purposes. A downpour is necessary to benefit the land in the Dargavtfle area, where light showers have fallen since Thursday night. With nothing more than a drizzle at Hamilton, the change in conditions has so far brought no appreciable relief in the Waikato district. In addition to the threat of declining production, a serious position has arisen in regard to harvesting, as the dry weather has greatly affected the yield of grass available for hay and ensilage. There is no body in the grass, which is rapidly going to seed, and there are indications that crops of supplementary fodder will be exceptionally light In the Pukekohe district a long dry spell has had a retarding influence on green leaf crops, while it was estimated to-day that the expected yields of onions and potatoes had been reduced by from 10 per cent to 30 per cent. _ '