WIDESPREAD RAIN

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29748, 15 February 1962, Page 14

WIDESPREAD RAIN

Pastures Show Benefit

Widespread rain over most of the Canterbury plains and Banks Peninsula in the last three days has been very beneficial to growth and should help to ensure good winter feed. However, most districts still need more rain to consolidate the improvement.

At Akaroa about IJin of rain fell between Tuesday morning and yesterday morning. Pigeon Bay, w'hich has been very dry since the new year, had 2in over the same period and growth is already noticeable. , The 2in in the Pendarves area since February 5 has broken the drought. Hie weather has become cooler and pastures are beginning to show an improvement Some of the ground around Darfield was now wet enough to plough, a farmer said last evening. Until Tuesday night about lin of rain had fallen and the area received another 40 points yesterday. Turnip crops, which were planted during the last fortnight, would have been useless if the dry conditions had continued, he said. Springfield

Showery conditions around Soringfield since Monday—about I.2oin—should ensure winter green feed and help put the land in good order. The average fall around Oxford was about lin. However, the hill? have had up to Jin more and some parts of the plains somewhat less.

In this area the root crops have had enough rain for the present but the pastures have not benefltted much because the ground was too hard and dry. Farmers say they need two dull days with no drying north-west winds before about 2in of rain.

The country around Culverden is still very dry and only light showers have fallen recently. Eight points were recorded until 9 a.m, yesterday but there have been falls of about 30 points towards the hills.

The meteorological office at the Christchurch Airport had recorded 69 points at 9 a.m. Tuesday and another 34 points to the same time yesterday. Since then only a few points have fallen.