“Raindrops As Precious As Gold”

Northern Advocate, 20 December 1945, Page 4

“Raindrops As Precious As Gold”

“Every drop of rain that falls in Northland today is as a drop of gold,” said the chairman of the Whangarei .Dairy Company! Mr E. S. Tremaine) this morning. “A gocd soaking is worth thousands of pounds to farmers,’’ he said. Whangarei people n-voke to the beat of rain on the roofs. Many had to jump from their beds to close windows.

The weather was coming from the south-west.

It.rained solidly just after daybreak but only for a few minutes. However, big heavy clouds were still banking up.

GROWTH AT STANDSTILL

Commenting on the pasture position, Mr. Tremaine stated that growth had been at a standstill. Properties which had been over-stocked were feeling the strain more than others, since the shorter grasses had been deprived of the shelter of the longer growth. Mr Tremaine was very satisfied with the manner in which butterfat production had been maintained. “Up to the end of November the Whangarei factory was only 20 tons down on last season,” he said. “When allowance is made for the fact that there are 11 less suppliers this season, it will be seen that there is very little depreciation in the quantity of butterfat being produced. One of the lost suppliers was milking 70 cows last season " Not only farmers, but townspeople, welcomed the rain. Gardens and lawns will make a wonderful response. For many, this moisture means peas and beans for Christmas dinner and tomato with salads. DRIEST FOR 23 YEARS Some idea of the severity of the drought in the Middle North may be gained from a study of the rainfall figurds kept by Mr J. H. Orr, a mile or two to the west of Kaikohe.

Only ,79in. of rain fell in November, of which half an inch fell on one day, November 22. The month had six days with rain, but nearly all of them were negligible amounts. It was the driest November in the 23 years during which Mr Orr has kept his local records, the next driest being in 1932, when a few points more, were recorded.

December so far has had a mere .Bin„ of which half an inch fell on December 1. Again, most of the seven days with rain have had merely enough to show a recording in the gauge. Kaikohe’s driest December was in 1930, when the figure was .24in. However, the preceding November had had over 2£in., and drought conditions did not exist to an appreciable degree. FEEDING OUT HAY TO STOCK The drought started with the first days of November. October rainfall was somewhat more than average, 4.23 in. being recorded. Cold temperatures, however, which sometimes approximated winter conditions, greatly retarded spring growth and. with the immediate succession of extremely dry conditions, all hay crops were exceptionally light. Unless warm autumn rains come, the hay position may be serious next winter. Much of this hay has already been fed out to stock. Feed in the paddocks is virtually at an end in many areas, although, surprisingly, the traditional “long acre” is showing good growth. The covollaiy. of course, is an increase in the number of wandering stock—and few motorists will find it in their hearts to blame the harassed farmer. GUMLANDS STAND UP BETTER Sheep are everywhere taking to troughs for water. Normally, cattle have the troughs to themselves, sheep gaining sufficient moisture from their grazing. It is an undoubted indication of the severity of the conditions.

Noticeable in many areas is the way I in which gumlands hold a good green sward while the more fertile volcanic soils show a vista of almost brown paddocks. It is a point that advocates of gumland farming have often made. In at least one instance, a sheepman in this district has taken his stock from his volcanic lands and run them off. on the poorer-grassed gumlands, among scrub and fern. They seem to be thriving on it. Travellers to and from Kaikohe have commented lately on the contracting appearance of other parts of the province. Around Whangarei, in Northern Wairoa, in Mangakahia, in western Hokianga, and even in the Whangaroa, the farmlands are distinctly greener and happier-looking, DE FORESTATION A CAUSE? It could be a coincidence that in all these districts there are high hills and ridges covered with standing bush, while in Kaikohe and, indeed, in much of the Bay of Islands and eastern Hokianga, there are not more than a few acres of native bush. The ridges and slopes are there—but they are gentler perhaps than most and they were all denuded of forest in the days of pioneers and bullockies. And what trees are left are being removed at a surprisingly efficient rate, with absolutely no effort at either reafforestation or preservation of the remaining saplings and seedlings. It may be a hard thing to premise, but it might not be wrong to say that the farmer today is paying a natural penalty for the sins of the past.