ANXIOUS WEEK IN COUNTRY

Evening Star, Issue 25927, 19 October 1946, Page 11

ANXIOUS WEEK IN COUNTRY

FLOOD THREAT IN OTAGO CROP SOWING AGAIN DELAYED Back-country farmers in Otago have had an anxious week because of heavy rain during the peak period of lambing, but conditions were improving at the end of the week. Apart from the losses suffered in the coastal regions through hoods three weeks ago, the down-country lambing ■ was highly satisfactory and it is expected that returns will be about normal. , In the back country also the ewe flocks have been in particularly good condition for lambing, and if the heavy rain .of the present week has not caused losses percentages should be good. Fortunately, this week’s rain was not accompanied by cold weather, and the effects' should not be bad. The warm rain melted a lot of snow in the higher country and caused some rapid rises in the rivers, but flooding did not reach serious proportions. The washing away of the snow was welcomed by fruit growers in Central Otago because it lessened the risk of frosts. For several weeks vet they will have to watch orchard night temperatures carefully, but as the snow finally disappears all danger will be over.

This week’s rains have again delayed the sowing, of crops. Perhaps for the second time it may be necessary to rework some of the land prepared for cultivation. Fanners have been standing by for i.he last three weeks with their fertiliser and seeds ready, but the sowing has been delayed. It is disappointing after such a fine, mild winter for the weather in the sowing season to be as broken as during the last month, but farmers are still fairly optimistic. Along with the farmers, officers of the Department of Agriculture, who were era** barking on a.record series of <roo pio jects, have been delayed in _ their work. The sowing of potato trials in the Palmerston district has been held up tin's week. The broken conditions have been quite favourable for dairying, as the warm rains have brought on pasture growth at a time when many districts were beginning to feel the pinch tor feed. The output of milk is increasing steadily and cheese manufacture will be in full swing within a short time.

Lime deliveries in Otago arc now about a month behind schedide as a result of the heavy demand ai d the concentration of orders for delivery between September and December. The use of lime in Otago has ’ increased substantially during the war vears and farmers are finding that substantial applications pay almost as well as fertilisers, putting the soil in better con dition to respond to superphosphate and other manures.