DROUGHT BREAKS

Grey River Argus, 20 February 1932, Page 5

DROUGHT BREAKS

IN CANTERBURY After Four Months (Per Press Association). CHRISTCHURCH, February 19. Christchurch has today had its first wet day since October 24th last. Light rain began to fall this morning. It has continued almost ceaselessly all day, and tonight steady ram is still falling. The total precipitation in Christchurch has been about half an inch. The rain would have been of incalculable benefit two months ago, or even one month ago. It will still be the greatest possible boon to the country. There had been infrequent light showers, giving a few points of rain, in parts of Canterbury during this month, and some districts, notably those nearer the foothills, have had recent falls of as much as two inches, but for the wide tract of the Canterbury Plain this rain is the breaking of the long drought. If rains como more frequently for the next two months, there is still a hope that there may be a fair growth of pasture for the winter feed. The position on some of the dairy farms near the city has been desperate recently, as the farmers have been compelled to use a large part of their hay saved in the early summer, and normally held for winter use. The lack of pasture has been so serious that sheep have died of starvation in some districts whore the pastures have completely given out.