Parched farms need more rain yet

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32565, 26 March 1971, Page 1

Parched farms need more rain yet

“At least it hasn’t forgotten how to rain,” a Canterbury fanner said last evening discussing yesterday’s rainfall in the province.

But in a number of areas the fail during the day amounted to only somewhere between 15 and 30 points. Mr D. W. Mulholland, of Darfield, who reported a fall of about IS points by nightfall, said that this would not be worth much if there was not mote to follow. In Rangiora, Mr G. C. Beattie recorded 21 points up to 5 p.m. bringing the fall so far this year to almost 3in. "Nowhere near enough,” was how Mr R. A Milne, senior farm advisory officer of the Department of Agriculture at Rangiora, described the fall up to that stage. Trees wilting At the Christchurch Airport, 23 points had fallen to 6 p.m. This was the first significant fall since a thunderstorm on February 26 and brought the year’s fall to 2}in. The weather office, however, expected a "little more” rain today. In one of the driest parts of Mid-Canterbury, 30 points of rain had fallen at Mr J. R. Bruce’s property at Pendarves by 8 p.m. In this area there is even no growth along

water races and mature trees have wilted. Farmers are feeding out large quantities of hay to keep their stock

alive. One man is reported to be using 1000 bales a week and another 700. This is rapidly cutting into reserves.

Further south, in the dry Waimate district Mr J. L. Symons, of the Department of Agriculture, was more optimistic. Waimate had had 29 points by 3 p.m. and by early evening the fall could have reached a Jin, he said. At Waihaorunga, further inland, 45 points had fallen by 3 p.m. and on the coast, at Glenavy, in an area where only about sin of rain has fallen since last October, 23 points had fallen by 3 pm. If good rains do come now the extent of the recovery on parched farmlands will depend on whether the weather turns cold or remains warm.