DROUGHT IN THE SOUTH

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22343, 5 March 1938, Page 13

DROUGHT IN THE SOUTH

FARMERS' SERIOUS PLIGHT ACUTE LACK OF FEED AND WATER The dry spell in the eastern part of Southland and South Olago is seriously concerning farmers in those areas. Last year the grass seed crops were practically ruined by the excessive rain, and this year a similar fate awaits pasture growth through the long spell of rainless weather. The position has become serious, especially I in eastern and northern Southland, and I more particularly in the Wendonside and Waipounamu districts, where pastures have been so badly burnt that I feed is almost non-existent, states the | Gore "Ensign." During the last nine I months the rainfall has been much below normal, and a blazing sun and high temperatures during the summer have aggravated the position. Southland is unable to withstand a pro-, longed spell of dry weather, such as that experienced this season. A considerable amount of rain is now required to revive pastures before frosts and the winter period set. in, although in some instances areas are so badly burnt and dried up that they are beyond recovery until next spring. • The dry weather has affected root crops, m which club-root and blight are now prevalent. At the .present time, root crops would not stand much eating off. Swede turnips in pai'ticular are suffering from lack of rain. Gore seed merchants report that there have been lighter yields of grass seed, and in the northern districts grain crops have been lighter. There was a shortage of winter feed last year, owing to considerable losses of hay on account of the wet season. while in some instances turnip crops were flooded out, but fortunately a mild winter was experienced. This season the prospects for winter feed are at present not bright, due to opposite conditions. Owing to the dry conditions in the spring, very little hay has been saved, and farmers probably will be forced to retain more of their oat crops than normally as a supplementary winter feed. Dairy Production The dry spell has affected the dairy farmer, and milk supplies have been much below the usual quantity. Lack of fresh pasture feed has affected production, and the intake at dairy factories is reduced by almost one-third compared with last season. To the end of January this year, 13.843 boxes of butter had been received at the Southland cool stores, compared with 21.352 for the corresponding period last year. The number of crates of cheese handled to the end of January was 74,758, as against 83,743 crates last year for the same period. One of the most trying features of the drought conditions has been the shortage of water. In some districts farmers have been carrying water since the middle of November. Stock has had to be driven to water daily, and this and other duties in, connexion with procuring suitable jjbuse and farm water have added considerably to the daily work. Danger of Grass Fires

The ever-present danger of grass fires has added to the worries, and already considerable damage has been done to fences and grasslands in the district. Recently a Waipounamu farmer lost several stacks of oaten chaff and grass seed, while a grass fire swept many acres of three properties t before it was quelled. Twenty-eigh't men spent several hours fighting the outbreak before it was controlled. Luckily the fire was confined to fairly bare pasture land, but some valuable fencing was destroyed. In the Waipounamu and Wendonside districts, where the drought has been most serious, a close watch has to be kept on areas where sheep are grazing. Many farmers are afraid to leave their properties unwatched for any length of time. On the down country between Balclutha and Waipahi. the land has been turned brown. A desolate note is lent to the picture by the almost complete absence of sheep, which, it is understood, have been removed to where water is more readily available. IMPORTANCE OF FARMING INDUSTRY THE POSITION IN BRITAIN In the National Farmers' Union "Record" for January the following appears, and is of some interest as an indication of the outlook of the English farmer:— "One hears a great deal about the importance of agriculture in the Empire and of the need to prevent the interests of Empire producers from being sacrificed if a trade agreement should be concluded between Britain and the United States.

"Although not so much concern is usually shown for the interests of British producers, the size of our agricultural industry' far exceeds that of any of the countries in the Empire. In 1931, the last year in which the figures were comparable, there were 1,353,000 persons occupied in agriculture in Great Britain. In Canada thero were 1,110,000 persons occupied in agriculture, in Australia 524,000, and in New Zealand 142,000. "Again, if gross values of output are compared," British agriculture is very much greater than the industry in any of the Dominions. In 1934-35 Canada, with an estimated gross agricultural revenue of £ 187,000,000. was the nearest rival to Great Britain's £238,000.000, while the gross values of agricultural production in Australia and New Zealand were only £150,000.000. and £39,000,000 respectively." EWE FAIRS CANTERBURY DATES Little River "Ewe Fair—March 7. Waiau Ewe Fair—March 8. Culverden Ewe Fair—March 10. Methven Ewe Fair—March 11. Fair lie Ewe Fair—March 11. Tinwald Ewe Fair—March 14. Sheffield Ewe Fair—March 15. Ashburton Ram Fair—March 16. _ Christchurch Ram Fair—March 17 and 18. , ni Oxford Ewe Fair—March 21. Coalgate Ewe Fair—March 22. Waiau Supplementary Sale—April 4. Culverden Supplementary SaleApril 5. ,-•■■-■