DRY SPELL BROKEN

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 54, 27 November 1929, Page 12

DRY SPELL BROKEN

FARMERS’ ANXIETY RELIEVED WHAT YESTERDAY’S RAIN MEANS Until the rain began yesterday morning, barely three-quarters of an inch of rain (.73 to be exact) had fallen during the 25 days of November. This is 4.43 inches below the November rainfall in 1928, and 2.71 Inches below normal. Yesterday’s fall totalled aboutan inch, and was a warm rain which will have a stimulating effect on vegetation. It was particularly welcome in the country, where the creeks were lower than for some years past in the month of November. The rain was general throughout the Dominion except in the far south. The normal rainfall, which is based on an average for 69 years in Wellington, is 3.44 inches for November, but up to Monday night rain had fallen on only seven days this month, the total being .73. In November last year it was well above normal at 5.32 inches. The heaviest fall was on November 13, when it was .22 inches, but on November 1, 1928, the unusual amount of 2.12 inches was recorded, while on three other days the figures were .54, .71, and .53 inches. The normal rainfall for the first ten months JanuaryOctober is 41.37 inches, but this was slightly exceeded this year with 41.51. The following are the rainfalls for 1928 and 1929, together with the nor-

Total, 42.24 •This figure is up to and including Monday, November 25. The normal rainfall for December is 3.30 inches, and the normal total for the year 48.11 inches, so that for the remaining 36 days to be recorded 6.60 inches are required to reach the average yearly rainfall in Wellington. BENEFIT TO PASTURES No one will welcome the warm rainfall of the past tweny-four hours more than the farmers and graziers of the Wellington Province, for the unusually long spell of cold, dry weather for this time of the year was beginning to assume a serious aspect. In both the Manawatu and Wairarapa districts there has been a shortage of early summer feed for some little time, and in some cases, only by means of supplementary fodder have stock been kept in anything like first-class condition.

Around Levin and Waikanae many farmers have been almost at a loss to find feed for their stock, and during the past month the shortage has been more pronounced than it has been for a very considerable time. These conditions have been fairly general throughout the countryside, and bare paddocks extend from the Manawatu to the Wairarapa. The lot of the sheep farmer has been a difficult one, and the provision of sufficient feed for lambs has presented quite a problem in numerous cases. Most farmers, however, have met the position by the frequent changing of flocks from one paddock to another. Dairy cattle have weathered better than sheep, and dairy farmers with a surplus of winter and spring feed have counted themselves lucky. Hand-feeding has consequently been resorted to much later than usual where fodder has been available.

Rain, at this time of the year, with the ground warm, means increased production so far as dairying and sheepfarming are concerned. Rainfall and temperature are governing factors of primary production. They play an important part in the condition of dairy stock and the butter-fat they yield. Stimulated by mild temperatures and the present rains, there is nothing to stop a prolific growth of pasture throughout the country. What the present rainfall will mean cannot be put down in £ s. d., but every farmer knows it means a larger cheque for his current month’s work, aud in the aggregate a substantial addition to the national wealth of the Dominion. “A very acceptable Christmas box” was how one farmer described the change in the weather. Those competent to express such an opinion estimate that two or three days’ rain, such as experienced yesterday, will lengthen tlie season by at least a fortnight.

“Rain was more than needed over the south of the North Island,” remarked the Assistant Director of Agriculture (Mr. Cockayne) last evening, as he expressed the hope that it would continue for another two days at least.

mal figures:— 1929. 1928. Normal. January ... 2.15 .19 3.30 .. February .-. .80 3.58 3.19 March 4.92 1.38 3.29 April 6.77 5.82 3.80 May 3.48 4.38 4.76 June ...... 5.56 4.52 4.87 July ....... 6.91 3.52 5.55 August .... 5.39 9.84 4.43 September . 3.29 3.31 3.99 October ... 2.24 5.32 4.19 November .. * .73 5.16 3.44