RAIN NEEDED IN SOUTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24103, 23 October 1941, Page 8

RAIN NEEDED IN SOUTH

CENTRAL OTAGO'S PLIGHT FARMERS APPREHENSIVE (0.C.) DUXEDIX. YTedneida? Some parts of Central Otago are at present suffering from the effects of a prolonged dry spell, and fears are entertained that unless the country receives a good soaking very soon the position iu farming areas may become serious.

A man who travels through Centra! Ota2o regularly said to-day that from Waipiata to Cromwell he had never, in the last 30 year?, seen the countryside looking worse, and ho expressed the opinion that unless the weather breaks within the next week or so the prospects of a satisfactory season were anything but bright. In the Middle March district there had been good rains and a strong growth of feed, with the resuk that stock was in good condition and lambing returns had been satisfactory. Further inland, however, it was a different story.

From Waipiata on the weather had been very diy and this, along with tho fact that there had been a succession of hard frosts, had retarded growth to a considerable extent. As a consequence there was very little feed around tho Ida Valley. Where there generally wss a strong growth of feed the country was very bare and in the Becks, Lauder, Chatto Creek and Alexandra areas tho effects of the dry period were extremely pronounced. On the high country especially, owners of stock were experiencing a trying time and a number of streams which normally carried a fair volume of water at this time of tho year were practically dry.

Although the season had been described as a fairly good one for stock, sheep in these districts were not in 3 particularly forward condition, and itwas probable this would havo an effect on the season's wool clip.