RECORD RAINFALL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21727, 16 February 1934, Page 12

RECORD RAINFALL

WHAKATANE DISTRICT CONDITIONS NOW IMPROVED PARTS STILL UNDER WATER [liY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT J WHAKATANE, Thursday The week has been one of the wettest in the history of the district, a total of 18.03 in. of rain having fallen. Conditions are now improved, but all the rivers in the district are swollen and a large area of land is under water. This is mainly surface water and should disappear with a day or two of fine weather.

Considerable damage has been done to maize crops, gardens and orchards. A number of maize crops have been flattened out by wind and water, and the rain has caused brown rot to appear in stone fruit crops. The rainfall, however, should induce a strong growth of grass and ensure an abundance of feed for the remainder of the season. NORTHERN DISTRICTS FBUIT CHOPS SUFFER [from our own correspondent] AVHAXGAREI, Thursday During the past 1G days there have only been two days without recordable rain at Whangarei. For the past 21 hours, ending 9 a.m. to-day, there lias been no rain, and the atmosphere is very hot and sultry, with heavy clouds. Pastures throughout the North have benefited greatly, but gardens and oichards have suffered. Brown rot is very prevalent, and late tomatoes and cucumbers are sharing the fate of the earlier crops in being blighted. Beans also are suffering through becoming spotted. Many farmers complain that the continued rainfall is giving an autumn growth to the grass during a summer month. This may be reflected when the autumn arrives and the grass fails to respond, thus making winter feed scarce.