Beneficial Rain In Canterbury

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30588, 3 November 1964, Page 1

Beneficial Rain In Canterbury

Widespread rain, with heavy showers in some areas, fell throughout Canterbury yesterday.

In most areas the rain has been sufficient to relieve drought conditions, but in others the fall was negligible. Farmers yesterday were still hoping for more rain.

Showers fell on Sunday and the heavier rain set in around midnight on Sunday. Rainfall measured at the airport at 6 p.m. was 1.21 in. The maximum temperature was 54 degrees from 2 p.m. to 4.30 pjn., the Government Life indicator showing a temperature of 59 degrees at 4.30 p.m. Winds were light northeasterly in the morning with a south-westerly change in the afternoon. In the opinion of Dr. J. D. Stewart acting head of the farm management department at Lincoln College, sown crops and cereals and peas received the major benefits from the rains. On the sheep side, he said, the rains helped to relieve the situation. Both autumn-sown and spring-sown cereal crops would have received “a terrific lift," and spring-sown lucernt and spring-sown forage crops, like early-sown rape, would have been greatly assisted. While the rain would have relieved the drought situa tion, Dr. Stewart said, he did not think that it should necessarily encourage people to proceed on the same basis as if there had been no drought. Drafting Lambs On the light land and where farmers were well stocked, Dr. Stewart said, they would be well advised to continue to draft lambs as quickly as they could and to continue to wean early as they had been doing. At Ashley Dene he said, the college had been weaning lambs at no more than eight weeks of age. Unless more rain fell, Dr Stewart said, he did not think that the hay situation would have been drastically changed for the better, and on the lighter land where farmers had no reserves of hay and no prospects yet of making hay they should be thinking about growing extra turnips Farmers in the hill country in North Canterbury and Banks Peninsula would particularly welcome good rains as they could not get lamb> away so early and many of these farmers also had cattle to keep going, Dr. Stewart concluded. Although patchy, the rain on Sunday and yesterday will benefit most North Canter bury areas. The showers would give

welcome relief, said an officer of the Department of Agriculture. None of it has been wasted but a good follow-up would be very welcome in another week. Falls varied widely with 42 points at Waiau, 50 points north of Amberley, 60 points at Omihi, 75 points at Oxford and 60 points at Rangiora. One of the driest areas, Cheviot, benefited by 50 points. Welcomed At Lobuni The rain was welcomed by orchardists in the Loburn fruitgrowing area where it will help crops of early peaches in particular. More orchardists have been spreading manure and the rain will help carry this into the soil. In the Culverden area on Sunday there were heavy isolated showers. At Rotherham up till 4 p.m. on Sunday 130 points had fallen. However, at Culverden itself, seven miles away, only 43 points had fallen to 9 a.m. yesterday with an estimated five more points during the day. At Darfield between 43 and 56 points fell. Total rainfall in the area this year has been 18.6 inches compared with the 34.58 inches in the same period in 1963. Little rain fell round Ashburton or along the coast, though there were heavy falls on the foothills, especially round the Ashburton Gorge area. Rain is still badly needed along the coastal areas and round Temuka.

Mr M. L. Cameron, an Agricultural Department advisory officer, said that north of Timaru and inland there had been practically no rain. Only 30 points had fallen at Peel Forest. At Methven there were a few heavy showers on Sunday, light showers continuing throughout yesterday. Sufficient rain has fallen to bring some improvement to the feed situation. At Akaroa in the 20 hours from 11 p.m. on Sunday 76 points of rain fell. Weather Office rainfall figures in the 24 hours to 9 a.m. yesterday were.—Lyttelton. 40 points; Port Roberson, 40 points; Blenheim, 9 points; Havelock, 3 points; Hororata, 56 points; Coleridge, 24 points; Oamaru, 31 points; Timaru Airport, 14 points.