THE DROUCHT AND ITS WORKS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 123, 17 February 1908, Page 2

THE DROUCHT AND ITS WORKS.

PROSPECTS OF : WINTER FEED,

Those unfortunates/who have lost : grass by the fires (writes'our travelling correspon-' dent) - are in a perilous' state,-, particularly the dairy fanners. V I heard of a man in the Eketahuna district'who lost all tho feed by the fires, and; then could find no sale for . his cows. The only' thing he. pould do was to send them to bejiboiled down. Many other si'milal" cases''havoi happened.' AVhat makes it all tho more annoying r is the present extraordinary price of butter in '•• the Home markets. Another consequence of the' dry season is. that • si>mb' farmers who want to put sheep in the saleyards are afriad to do .so, because,'as'there has' been no'water for dipping, they dare not send tho sheep away undipped as : their might be lousy. ' Stock' inspectors are sofcareful in examining sheep in saleyards.; : Therefore, these farmers' are waiting for ;theij long-looked-for downpour. | Truly'a .'droughty; season affords 'many peculiar sides to the farming profession," of hb t, c6ficep'tion'.?Some ; farmers have told me that, as a result'of the dry, season, bidi-bid is ' being worried out much more • than in late years. In * some, paddocks the cattle' have -almost cleaned it out.

out. . ~- .. ■ . ...... ;> .. One of the results of the . drought' in the Wairarapa (writes ' our correspondent) will be a difficulty in wintering cows. ■ Some of the dairy-farmers, with 'a ■ forethought, which does :them credit, . had reserved areas in; the upland vallfiys . ofi the Tararuas, where there would have been good 'feed in ordinary circumstances." The bush-firos,. however, have destroyed -these pastures, and-the'. dairymen have had .to -.turn-, in. another direction. For' years, Gladstone and the East Coast have been an excellent winter camping ground for dairy cattle, but. there is no certainty: that such will bp the .-ase this season. Indeed, fairmers have already been, refused grazing by, some sheep-farmfcis, who themselves are almost certain '.that; they too ' will; be: short of feed.,... The grazing trouble ."does.;:not hit the old-established: dairyman so much as the, newcomer.; The necessity for the; manufacture' of; silage and the . provision of. .shelter for, stock will . be, ■brought homo, to the minds of dairy-farm-ers with great/force, this year..