NORTH NEEDS RAIN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19221, 9 January 1926, Page 10

NORTH NEEDS RAIN.

CREEKS DRYING RAPIDLY.

SOME PARCHED FARItf AREAS

THE DANGER OF GRASS FIRES. [BT TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WHANGAKEI, Friday. The conditions prevailing in North Auckland continue such that unles3 a steady rainfall comes within a few days it will be a very serious matter to the settlers and to the business people, who are dependent to a large extent upon the prosperity of the primary producers. It is several years since there was so long a period of dry weather at this season of the year and although severe conditions do not yet exist they will do so unless a steady downpour comes within the next few days. The wet spring caused a late season and in November- and December the high winds and blazing sun soon dried up the la.nd. In December although rain was recorded in Whangarei on eight days it was practically valueless as it was small and was spread over so many day!?. Throughout the peninsula the need for rain is acute, although some districts havo Kuffered less than others. Whorever paspalum is the principal grass the country is still green, but the more valuable Engglish grasses have failed badly in most places. In parts of the Bay of Islands district danthonia is being burned off to give it a fresh start as it has passed its usefulness for feeding purposes. Creeks throughout the 'district' are dry.ing up very rapidly. 7116 Driest Bolt. Seemingly the driest area is in a belt running through Kaikohe, Ohaeawai, Waimate and Waipapa, with Pakaraka as, perhaps, the most arid area of all. Further north thero was rain on January 2 and the following day and it proved a refresher to the withering pastures while in the Mangakahia Valley and other backblocks areas inland from Whangarei the dryness of the grass has not been so generally noticeable as it is in the Opuawhanga, Helena Bay and other coastal districts. One serious risk with the grass and scrub lands so dry is the outbreak of fires. The countryside generally is as dry as tinder and grass'fires at the present time, especially with. the high winds prevailing, might easily spread over extensive tracks of country. The Butter-fat Returns. ■ The continuous dry weather has had a decidedly detrimental effect upon the returns of butter-fat to all butter factories and it is certain that very heavy deductions from the estimated .incomes of dairy farmers will result. . , The fruit crops are backward, poaches and plums being so scarce that local produce merchants cannot get enough to meet their requirements, This time last year there was a glut on the market. In other years local vendors have been overburdened with supplies of vegetables, but this season more than is coming to hand could be sold readily in Whangarei. Although peas and beans were plentiful for a time, the supply is petering out; so is that of strawberries, the season being practically over. Some fine yields of potatoes have been obtained but,, generally speaking, the tubers are not fully matured and they are small. In fact the protracted spfll of dry weather has already caused very considerable losses and unless rain comes within a week the outlook for graziers, dairymen, orchardists and others will not be at all reassuring. , THE KING COXJOTBY. IRAIN AT THE NEW YEAR. THE FUTURE BRIGHT. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] TAUMABtTNUI, Friday. The King Country district, has been little affected by the dry spell of the past threo weeks. During the New Year holidays a fall of rain did an immense amount of good in the districts surrounding Taumarunui. The reports of farmers and settlers show that the conditions cotfld not be better and that a continuation of hot weather for another month would not in the least affect the district. These reports are most > fcncouraging from a commercial viewpoint and the prospects for the future are particularly ■ bright. Eoads have been opened and the settlers are experiencing little difficulty.. in getting their goods and produce to and from the central town or railroad. Reports state that the pastures are hardening up after the heavy rains of the winter and the spring and there is plenty of water for stock. The district could Btaod another month of unbroken sunshine without feeling ill effects. A Taumarunui farmer who motored -to Hamilton during tho Christmas holidays stated that the King Country generally was looking very well. He was agreeably surprised with the state of affairs and expressed the opinion that at the present time the land in tho King Country was looking a good deal better for farming purposes than that in tho Waikato district, where the effect of the dry weathor yva:i being felt. REPORT FROM OPOTIKI. COUNTRY LOOKING FRESH. V CREAM YIELD KEEPING UP. [flX TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] OPOTIKI, Friday. In spite of very hot, dry weather for the past five weeks, with only one fall of rain on New Year's Jsve, the country round about is keeping remarkably fresh. The supply at the butter factory has hardly' decreased. Although the quantity of inilk has gone down cream keeps up. Oats, maize and turnip crops are not affected. At the same time rain would be very welcome. PLIGHT OF HAWKE'S BAY. STOCK TRUCKED TO COAST. SERIOUS POSITION DISCLOSED. [BT TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Friday. Th<3 dry weather is particularly affecting tho Hawke's Bay, Wairarapa and Poverty Bay districts. A prominent Bawko's Bay pastoralist who passed through Wellington to-day on his way to the exhibition at Dunedin stated that the position was serious in the province. Feed had become so scarce that large numbers of cattle had had to be trucked from Hawke's Bay to the west coast where pasture was more plentiful owing to tho more generous rainfall experienced. The shortage of pasture caused by the dry weather in Hawke's Bay, he declared, had prevented the lambs "from developing as they should have done and many of them were poor and stunted. Lines of lambs had been sold just before he left for 6s. a head. Poverty Bay and Wairarapa were also feeling tho effects acutely and Canterbury as far south as Oamaru also badly wanted rain.