THE NEED FOE RAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18813, 13 September 1924, Page 10

THE NEED FOE RAIN.

POSITION IN CANTERBURY. CONCERN AMONG FARMERS. h WORST SEASON FOR YEARS." [by telegraph.—own. correspondent.! CHRISTCHURCH. Friday. Too concern felt by farmers at tho prolongation of the present dry spell has been intensified during tho past day or two by the prevalence of warm strong nor' westers. To-day, though rain did not seem very far away —there were actually a few drops in the morning—a warm depressing wind blew into the night and its effect, if it prevailed throughout the province, j would considerably aggravate tho parched ! condition of the. soil. It is the distribution of the rain rather ! than the annual quantity that influences the question of growth. Last year there was a 6in. deluge in May, yet. what for ' New Zealand might be ■ termed a "drought, v practically developed at the end of the year and reduced the crop yields to almost a record low point. This year the rainfaU is ten inches less .than for the corresponding period (to tho end of August) of last year. The fall this year j to date, 15.90 in., is abnormally low. The break in the weather, which set in ; last week-end unfortunately came too little. It was patchy and in those dis- j j tricts it favoured it averaged no more j I than from 30 to 55 points. From most parts of the province anxiety to a more or less extent is being expressed as to the j ontlook. Particularly is this the case in South Canterbury. Cereal growth in j most districts is practically at a standstill. A visitor to tho country districts of South Canterbury reported to-day that the i season is the worst for years. Cows in many.cases were existing on stack bottoms. The position was grave while any green crops to be seen were carrying sheep. Generally, however, stock are looking I well,- the mild season has compensated for the dearth of feed. However, reserves of j feed are about exhausted and the prospect of heavy early drafts of fat lambs is none too bright. ', Although the rain keeps oft with exasperating elusiveness, there are signs that it is about and may come to hand when the present gale has blown* itself , out. A Geraldine correspondent writes: — j " There i 3 still no break in the weather and the time is a very anxious one to j farmers as well as to townspeople. The seasons have been so erratic for some years past that there is not the same confidence there used to be that conditions would come all right in due time. The light rain of a few days temporarily freshened grain crops, but was of little benefit to pastures."