WHEAT PRODUCTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19092, 10 August 1925, Page 8

WHEAT PRODUCTION.

SERIOUS EFFECT OF RAIN.

SMALL AUTUMN v SOWING,

FUTURE PROSPECTS NOT BRIGHT. {BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] CHEISTCHURCH:, Saturday. Tho deluge of rain will further reduce the area intended for wheat production.^ Disappointments one after another this season havo besot those farmers who intended to extend their wheat cropping. Tho autumn sown area vrbs reduced by periodical rainfalls, and it is fairly certain that the Eowings this autumn were substantially short of the average. There wa3 general confidence, however, that the spring sowing would malto up a good deal of the leeway, but tho frequent breaks in Juno and July allowed team work to proceed very slowly. While tho lighter land may be fife for working in time to permit an extension of sowing tho heavy soils are too waterlogged and soddeu to warrant much hopo of tho original programme of sowing being adhered to. It is remarkable, howtever, how quickly tho country dries up under favourable conditions, and it is just possible a drying wind may enable toam work to be restarted sooner than is expected. If at all possible farmers will sow in tho spring, as sheep are too high in prico and too scarco to permit of a general change over. Although lambing is not general yet on the plains there are many flocks engaged in the process, and the cold rain and 6udden drop in temperature will be very hard on both ewes and their offspring. There is a certainty of mortality where shelter is not available. There is a tendency to earlier lambing in recent years in order to meet tho early season export trade, and bad August weather catches such flocks at an anxious time for the breeder. There is ono aspect, however, in which the position is moro satisfactory than usual" and that is in the abundance of chaff and straw on the farms. The province is particularly fortunate in this respect this winter.

It is feared that the back country will be badly affected by the fall in temperature.

SEVERE HAILSTORM. HEAVY FALL AT PAEROA. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] PAEKOA, Saturday. Tiie heaviest hailstorm experienced in Paeroa for many years occurred yesterday, accompanied by thunder, vivid flashes of lightning, and hailstones as large an marbles. For a. space of a few minutes the ground looked as if a huge sheet had been spread. The storm passed from west to east, and lasted for about half an hour. Heavy rain followed. No damage is reported. The weather was fine and spring-like this morning.

THUNDER AND LIGHTNING. OPOTIKTS EXPERIENCE. [BX TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] OPOTIEI, Saturday. A very severe thunderstorm, accompanied by heavy rain and vivid lightning, passed over the town to-day. The water channels were soon full.

A fish of some 141b. weight was found in one of the pools left by the recent floods in t)ie Waioeka River. On examination it proved to be a brown trout. The discovery was particularly interesting as thij river was originally stocked with brown trout, but of recent years nothing but rainbow havo been liberated.