UNORTHODOX CLIMATE

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28890, 9 May 1959, Page 9

UNORTHODOX CLIMATE

From Drought To Floods

By

H. E. GARRETT

Over the last 15 or 16 months Canterbury and much of the South Island has been experiencing most extraordinary weather. If this was a different period of history or we were people with different customs sacrifices would be made to the gods or witch doctors would be consulted in an effort to improve the run of weather we have experienced. Just one of the last three rains coming in November would have alleviated the drought situation. Now we are in a position in some coastal areas of receiving quantities of rain which are proving an embarrassment. The rain has made the ground well and truly wet before the start of winter. The result is that wheat sowings will probably be affected, especially on the heavier land. Canterbury will attempt to plant about 150.000 acres this season and not more than 20,000 or 30,000 acres will be sown yet. No doubt given the right weather the ground will dry out and there is plenty of time before the shortest day. The big danger is that there will be another rain in a week or so which could stop wheat going in on the really strong land. There is a slight danger of drowning out in a few wet hollows where wheat has already been sown. Wheat is a wonderful crop and practically foolproof, but it will not stand water-logging before it is safely through the ground. Most Concerned Potato growers are probably the ones most concerned with the rain this week. No doubt their yields have been more or less trimmed back by the drought and now they are faced with wet conditions for lifting the crop. Probably no more than 50 per cent. —possibly less — of main crop potatoes have been harvested. Some of these are in bags standing in very wet paddocks. Apart from the risk of rotting growers face difficulties m getting trucks into their paddocks to move the potatoes. The oss due to rotting could be quite substantial before crops are inally harvested. Potato prices iepend on factors like the situalon in the North Island and the South Canterbury crop, but it vould not be surprising to see omething of a shortage later in the season, especially if there is nother heavy rain in the near uture.

The need now is for some good 1 rying weather to allow wheat owing and potato harvesting to roceed. The need is also for rier conditions to prevent rought-weakened pastures from utting up under stock trampling n the wet conditions. Stock, vhich have been remarkably ealthy during the dry weather, nay now take much more handling, particularly the ewe nd ram hoggets, but they should >e safe enough once there have jeen a few frosts, but these jould be delayed some time yet f this curious season continues n its unorthodox way.

U.S. Farm Production.— Since 1940 American farm productivity has increased more than in the preceding 120 years, says a news jotting in the Australian “Pastoral Review and Graziers’ Record.” In 1820 each American farm worker produced enough to meet the needs of 4.1 persons. By 1940 this figure had risen to 10.6 and by 1956 each farm worker’s output would meet the needs of 20.8 persons.