FARMING IN THE NORTH.

Otago Witness, Issue 3859, 28 February 1928, Page 23

FARMING IN THE NORTH.

RECENT DROUGHT BREAKS. AUCKLAND, February 25. It is the opinion of the Minister of Agriculture (Mr O. J. Hawken) that the rain which has fallen in the past day or two throughout the North Island will be so beneficial to agriculture generally that before winter many farmers who have started using their winter feed will be able to retrieve much of the ground lost through the dry spell. Discussing this question this morning Mr Hawken said that the drought nad thrown some of the daily farmers back to a serious extent, and in a few cases cows had gone dry. In instances of this kind the milk-producing season would be finished for those individual farmers, but in those cases where production had fallen a substantial recov.ery would b© possible if favourable weather were experienced henceforward. It is a reserve stock of feed *hat matters,” declared Mr Hawken. “ Many farmers refuse to look further ahead than 12 months. That is no good. The man who stored his ensilage and hay two years ago and still has some on hand is the man who is able to withstand a dry spell srch as that which has just broken. O<-e of the reasons why farmers have suffered so much on this occasion is that the dry spell arrived earlier than usual We usually have dry weather in late Feoruaiy till the end of March; but everywfiere

this year the drought set,.in two months ago, and has taken farmers >t;.j vaics. This position has its virtue, however, because if we get good ram now .and then some fine weather, the recovery will be made before the winter sets in. 1 * CONDITIONS IN CANTERBURY. CHRICTCHURCH, February 26. ■I Canterbury has not shared in the good rains of the North Island. There have been two showers durina the past fortnight, both negligible. To-day, however, a south-west rain has begun with every indication that it will continue, and will be general. The dry weather has done little harm in Canterbury. It has assisted the wheat harvest, ■which has been a record one ; but it has depressed the stock market a little.