FARMS SUFFER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22941, 20 January 1938, Page 12

FARMS SUFFER

PRODUCTION AFFECTED RESULTS OF HOT WEATHER AVERAGE QUALITY LOWERED MR. W. M. SINGLETON'S REVIEW [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] NEW PLYMOUTH, Wednesday The dairying season and the effect of tho hot weather on quality and production were discussed to-day in an interview by Mr. W. M. Singleton, director of tho Dairy Division of tho Department of Agriculture, who is visiting Taranaki. "From a production standpoint, tho dairying season thus far has been rather 'in and out','' said Mr. Singleton. "The season is considered as commencing on August 1, and for tho months of August and September an increase was registered in tho quantity of butter and cheese graded, as compared with the corresponding months of the preceding seasop. October and December, however, proved to be adverse months for production, but November prevented the figures for the season from August 1 to December 31 from being as unfavourable as would otherwise have been the case when comparing them with those of the corresponding period of tho 1936-37 season.

"The present hot spell, which appears *to be affecting many of tho principal dairying districts, will tend to accentuate the decrease in production, although some districts seem to be showing very little reduction in quantity," he said. "This appears to apply to certain areas south of New Plymouth, which are doing very well indeed. •. .

"The prevailing heqt .has adversely affected the quality. The higher temperatures at which milk and cream hav;e been held from milking and separating until delivery are responsible for the greater development of illflavours and acidity," Mr. Singleton added. "More milk and cream is being placed into lower grades and the average quality has been lowered. The resultant product has, by the same token, reduced in grade."

DAIRYING PROBLEM POVERTY BAY CONCERN SUPPLEMENTARY FEED USED POSITION GROWING SERIOUS [BT TELEGKArH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] GISBORNE, Wednesday Although isolated parts of the district experienced a thunderstorm yesterday evening, Gisborne is still without rain. Every day of the dry spell is bringing a rapid change in the position of dairy farmers in the district and it is now serious on some properties, particularly those on light land and where there is a lack of natural water supplies. In the higher country, milk and bulter-fat supplies have kept up fairly well. They were helped by the late flush of grass and there was good growth in the pastures when hot conditions sot in. Now, however, pastures everywhere are brown and farmers are making use of green crops, ensilage and roots to keep supplies going. A few properties are so short of water that stock has had to be driven some distance to streams.

A severe electrical storm passed over Ngatapa yesterday evening, the rain being accompanied by exceptionally loud peals of thunder and vivid lightning. Telephone communication and electric power were cut off until this morning. A thunder shower at Ormond at about 6.30 p.m. gave that part of the district its first rain for six weeks. The shower lasted for only 10 minutes, during which time .10in. of rain was registered. A shower also fell at Tekaraka yesterday afternoon, but no rain was experienced in Gisborne and most other parts of the district also escaped.