DROUGHT IN THE SOUTH.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13896, 20 January 1916, Page 3

DROUGHT IN THE SOUTH.

FARMERS' SERIOUS OUTLOOK. ' The Prime Minister, who returned to Christchuroh on' Monday evening from a tour of ttouth Canterbury to inspect the grain crop said all the crops wore suffering from the drought, oats a great deal more than wheat. The latter, howeyer, was remarkably patchy and likely to give a very poor yield m comparison ■ with the ordinary season. On the imj poi'tant question of whether there was .sufficient wheat m the Dominion for requirements it was impossible to give a definite answer until the threshing machines got to work. There are lUO,U(X) acres more m wheat this year than last, but the crop was not nearly so big. All the threshing machines were required to keep an accurate tally, to be supplied to thi> Government statistician, so that tho position may be know^i as accurately as po.ssiblc It was important that there should be sufficient area sown m grain each year to provide the Dominion's requirements. Farmers had responded well to the appeal to grow more wheat and oats, but on account of the drought m Canterbury and North Otago there would be a great deal of difficulty m making ends' meet. Unless rain came soon he did not know what farmers wcro going to do with their stock, it was- impossible to grow root crops, and tho .position therefore was serious.