POSTPONED. THE RAIN IS STILL ABSENT.

Evening Post, Volume LXXV, Issue 40, 17 February 1908, Page 8

POSTPONED. THE RAIN IS STILL ABSENT.

At dusk last evening the northerly brought up a host of blackish clouds ; sea- birds wheeled over Mount Victoria, and it seemed that the long-deferred rain .was at last about to soak the city. "If the wind would only change now"," Mghe4 the people. The wind did change, but/ the southerly meiely ushered in a brighter day. This morning the two ends of New Zealand were overcast, but nearly al 1 between was blue, except at stations where smpke obscured the sun, and at Patea, where ahmveis were fulling. This afternoon tho barometer began to droop a trifle, but the glass is a deceiver in these times. EFFECT OF THE DROUGHT. [BT TELEGRAPH. — PRESS ASSOCIATION.] PALMERSTON N., This Day. Local butter circles consider that butter wall reach 160s on the Home markets, and 2s per 1b in New Zealand. At present there is no serious shortage of water, but there is absolutely no nourishment in grass, and the- milk yields are still decreasing appreciably. It is considered that unless rain falls very soon several creameries and factories will have to close down.