LACK OF RAIN

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 122, 19 November 1929, Page 9

LACK OF RAIN

THE DROUGHT IN ENGLAND

KEJIA.RKA.BLE RESULTS

The effects of the recent severe drought in England had proved very serious at the end of September. The London "Observer" on 29th September said:—

The springs and lakes of subterranean water, supplying thousands of wells in country places, have continued to sink with a devastating suddenness. A 0 foot drop within a day or two has been a common- experience in many parts of the chalk area, especially in the Chilterns. Even wells close to the rivers have failed altogether during the week; and great numbers of villages-are almost without water to wash in, and are forced to go considerable distances for water to drink.

Some of tho richer country dwellers havo even abandoned their houses for the tiino being, and- do not mean to return till the pumps can be effectively active again. The hardships of the rest aro progressive, and will not be easily dissipated, even when tho rain returns. Unlike a tank, tho 'springs, espcially in the chalk, do not respond to belated supplies for weeks, or even months.

The.few showers and thunderstorms that havo intervened have been more than normally ecoentrio, and partial, utterly avoiding some places, and favouring their immediate neighbours. Oxford, for example, has been altogether rainless, whilo some neighbouring parishes have enjoyed "waterspouts of blessed rain." SUFFERINGS OF STOCK. Stock of all sorts' have suffered inordinately in the chalk country, in the Fens, and on the Lincolnshire wolds. It has been, found almost impossible on many farms to keep sheep and cattle within bounds. They have utterly disregarded the ordinary hedges, and ranged over wide areas in the oftca vain search for water or green grass with any juices left in it. On hundreds of j'arms they havo Jjeon kept alive and in condition only by the use of hay and roots meant for winter feeding. It is too late- in the year to hope for any real revival of tho grass. Probably most lawn-keepers and greenkeepers are greater experts in the culture of grass than the farmers, and tho opinion of some 'of the best is that their greens and lawns are past revival. They see nothing for it but fresh laying or fresh sowing. This verdict by the golfers and tennis players—if not of immense importance in itself —will indicate the plight of the farmer whose land is heavily stocked and whose crops of hay and roots were light. Even a downpour of weeks would probably not refill the chalk wells till winter is half over—such was tho experience of the notorious drought of 1921 —so that men and stock arc both likely to feel tho effect of the drought, not only irn.broken in many places, but more insistent than ever, till they reach the spring of 1930.' CURIOUS EFFECT ON TREES. Vegetation is affected in many curious ways. The drought has been accompanied with sunlight of exceptional intensity. Tho result is that leaves on the south side of! trees —especially beeches aud thorns—have, shrivelled as if a fire had been lit underneath. They are not beautifully coloured by the gradual process of autumn, but scorched by excess of ultraviolet rays, and much sunburn is not good for trees. One treo often looks liko two trees, for one part is frosh and green and the other shrivelled and brown. Insects as well as larger animals have been oddly affected. Tho drought has tended to' mass production. Motorists return with a windscreen dyed green by its passage through a cloud of aphis; and on occasion both car and occupants have been plastered with daddy longlegs. Even wild trees, notably tho "pussy willows," are smothered with green-fly, which is seldom active at this late date; and some vegetable crops are utterly destroyed.