A WELCOME CHANGE.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 230, 4 December 1888, Page 3

A WELCOME CHANGE.

BAIN REPLACING THE DROUGHTSydney, Dec. 1. Welcome rains have fallen throughout the colony, and there is every prospect of the drought breaking up. The markets of New South Wales have for many years provided an excellent outlet for New Zealand agricultural produce : a chapter, therefore, in the New South Wales Government Statist’s work, recently published, showing the THjn rements of that colony for the y-ar, of prominent necessaries of life, has an interest to’prndnrers in this colony. Although the season 1886-87 was unusually prolific, in the latter vear it was necessary to import wheat and flour into New South Wales to the equiva’ent cf 26.000 tons of flour, or 19 pnr cent, of lhe total requi ements. For 1888 the estimated requirements tn be supplied by importations are 2 600,000 bushels of wheat, equiva’ent to about 56.000 tons of flour, or nearly 36 per ce t. of requirements

for consumption. The consumption of butter and cheese varies greatly, being directly affected by the character of the season which prevails. There was a large import in 1887, though the season was most bounteous. The quantity of butter imported was 9237 cwt, and the amount of hnm* produce 143,805 cwt, making a total of 153,042 cwt. New Zealand supplied Ml7cwt, Victoria 2000 cwt, and South Australia 1412 cwt of the butter imported. The amount of cheese made in the colony during 1887 was about 51,603 c wt, the while the quantity imported reached 28lOewt. New Zealand and South Australia supply the

larger part of the cheese imported The amount of potatoes imported in 1887 was 64.140 tons, while the quantity available from the fields of the colony was only 45,508 cons. The congregation of the Elsternick Presbyterian Church had something of a surprise on Sunday. November 25. When the pastor, the Rev. Joseph Hay, ascended the pulpit, he announced that he bad been requested by the Presbytery to pray for rain ; but, he addfd. he had no intention of complying with the request. He regarded it (says the Melbourne Herald) as little short of impious that the Lord should be asked to upset the natural Older of things to oblige an improvident people. Seme countries bad less rain than Amiralis, and the inhabitants there had

tn put by something—not for a rainy day, but for a dry day. If, the reverend gendeman continued, people would, through avarice or thoughtlessness, insist upon grazing five theep where only one should b“, they must expect to bear the burden when the evil days <ame and the partures were burnt brown and bare, whnn the unfod and unwatered sheep, dying in their hundreds and thousands, bore mute but terrible testimony to the improvidence of Australian people. He declined to accede to the request of the Presbytery, and

ha would not pray for rain. The sermon was a powerful one, and crea ed a profound impression ui O' l the congregation. One good effect of the drought in New South Wales has been the havoc i’ has caused •ipoug the rabbits, though unfortunately the evil Isa nwe uo hing compared with this cure. Rabbits. I owe ver, continue to live in places miles away from water and where there has not for mootha been seen a blade of green g aea or herbs. The pests have taken to Climbing the trees, and either kill shrubs outright or divest them of every scrap of bark or foliage for four or fiv- feec up It is quite a common sight to see the dead bodies of the aaimdi caught in the prongs of the trm