TOKAORA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 4 January 1928, Page 9

TOKAORA.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

HAYMAKING

There have been continuous weather warnings that a wintry snap, with rain, was approaching from the south; but this appears to have taken a turn over the Tasman Sea-, but it may eventually reach us. The weather has been, and at the moment of writing is, ideal for swimming, racing, athletic sports and saving the hay crops, many of which are now safely in stack. On the whole the weight per acre is not so heavy as last year, but larger areas have been saved for .ensilage which, with the hay, gives a balanced ration for the herds, thus keeping them in good fettle for the following dairying season. THE WEATHER. There are four things necessary to sustain the human family, viz.— water, bread, salt and sleep. The same applies to the animal kingdom. A judicious and average rainfall supplies the first-named, which in turn makes the grass to flourish. The staff of life for our kine is provided, for by the salt-laden sea breeze, while our well-enclosed paddocks with their high boxthorn fences give shelter to our stock so that they enjoy their horns of rest in warmth and comfort. During the past year Tokaora and surrounding district have enjoyed a fair average of all the above, the lack of sunshine being the only drawback. Cold and high winds have been below the average, with the result that the past season so far has topped all previous years in milk and butter-fat—our standard of wealth—-in this locality. By judicious manuring and a rainfall above the average we are raised to that preeminence. THE RAINFALL. Some years back, when the primeval forest, covered more area than the grassed or felled portion of Taranaki, the writer wa s me sole representative in Taranaki oi a widely read 1 farmers’ monthly. A resume of the weather and rainfall for tne previous month occupied the first paragraph of my letter. The only published rainfall records I could quote was supplied by Miss Nora'h Trimble, of Inglewood. One year 1 totalled them up, and found the phenomenal total of 149) inches was recorded there. §pme time afterwards I paid a visit to the South Island, and in a locality where 25 inches of rain is an annual average 1 was boasting of our Taranaki precipitation. A friend produced the farmers’ journal and scornfully pointed out that article, remarking that where rain fell to the extent of 12) feet annually such a place was not a- country, but an in-

land lake. After that rebuff I ceased to record the grand totals. At the opening of the Turutura school I-men-tioned the above to Mr. Trimble, at one time chairman of the Taranaki Education Board and brother of the meteorological recorder. He assured me that my total of rainfall for Inglewood was not a record, for a total of 154 inches had lveen registered there, and he believed that total topped the score. If my memory serves me right, T referred the matter to Mr. J. C. Yorke, who told me the record at Inaha was only 35 inches in that particular year, hut his gauge was not placed in the most suitable locality. Rainfall in Taranaki is very erratic. Take the phenomenal downpour in Hawora on December 23 of 1.91 inches, yet at Oliawe only .05 inch was recorded, so little that haymaking was not stopped. For the month of December 1.87 inches- of rain fell on 10 days, while Hawera was credited with 4.46 inches. For the year at Ohawe 46.82 inches was the grand total, while Hawera with her flooded- streets and shops can only show, as per the “Star,” 46.90 inches, or .08 above the local annual record. I will mow go into detail of each month during the past year, kindly supplied hv Mr. Heathcote Livingston: also some statistics of our local rainfall kept by his father, the late Mr. James Livingston .

1927. January, l.OSin. on six days. February, 2.63 in. on 11 days. March, 2.79 in. on 18 days. April, 3.81 in. on 18 days. May, 7.1 sin. on 15 days (there were three days on which over one inch fell: oil 26th ].6Bin, on 27th 1.72 in. June, 4.47 in. fell on 19 days. July, 4.30 in. fell on 21 dayis. August, 6.80 in. fell on 21 days. September, 2.55 in. fell on 14 days. October, 2.52 in. fell on nine days. November, 6.85 inches fell on 16 days (on the 15th 1.79 in. fell on 27th 1.73 in.). December. 1.87 in. fell on 10 days. Total, 46.82 in. for year on 178 davs.

It may be interesting to some of your readers to know that at Tokaora the average rainfall for 26 years up to and including 1916 was 43.15 inches; also that over one inch of rain was recorded here as falling in the twenty-four hours from six to ten days each year.

YEARLY RAINFALL

From 1917 to 1922

Average: 48.74 inches

In the early days we beard lamenta>ions that with the land denucted of Its forests the country would dry up. For the period oi 26 years ending at, but inclusive of, 1916, the annual average was 43.15 inches. For the period ending 1922-1 he moan fall for the six years was 42.05, but in 1919 there were only 30.80 inches, the lowest on record..

The past live years gave an average of 48.74 in., or, taking the whole period since the late Mr Livingston started to hoop the rain record, the whole pans out at -14.62 in. In the early part of this century, the late Mr Clement A rngg, in the Opera House, predicted coni ou,;! rainfalls from 1922 to 1930, 1927 or 1928 to lie the peak. The sun .-'pots would then disappear and things for a time would return to normal.

1917 37.17 inches 191S 44.00 inches 1919 30.80 inches 1920 55-53 inches 1921 44.62 inches 1922 40.18 inches Average 42.05 inches rainfall and wet days. 1923 to 1927. 1923—47..35in. rain fjall on 166 days. 1924—36-98in. rain fell on 175 days. ] 925—43.72i n. rn i n fell on 167 days. 1926—48.o3in. rain fell on 174 days. 192<—46.82in. rain fell on 178 days-