THE DRY SPELL

Southland Times, Issue 21576, 14 December 1931, Page 7

THE DRY SPELL

SOUTH CANTERBURY POSITION.

MANY CHOI’S RUINED.

The southern part of South Canterbury and the district of North Otago are passing through a period of unusual stress. The long continued absence of rain threatened to ruin many crops—as a matter of fact that stage has already been reached is some districts. Mr T. D. Burnett, M.P. for Temuka, mentioned to a Christchurch Press representative on Friday that during his recent election campaign he had traversed the electorate from the sea to the foothills, and from Claremont to as far north as Ashburton North and Alford Forest. The tale and the picture were the same from one end to the other —abnormally dry conditions, and spoilt wheat and oat crops. Mr Burnett said that the further south one proceeded the worse things became, this being particularly noticeable in regard to limestone and clay subsoil lands. In many cases, he said, there was not a vestige of feed to be seen in the English grass paddocks, many of which appeared at first sight to have been ploughed up. In some localities dry feed was being resorted to, while in others water had to be carted for stock, household, and domestic purposes. Wheat Fed Off. Mr Burnett said he had been told of thousands of acres of wheat having been fed off. The position in South Canterbury was very serious. Providing a proportion of rain fell from now on, turnip and rape crops and autumn sowings of oats for sheep feed would benefit, but if the seasonal prospects did not soon improve, and there was not a sufficiency of rain to make possible the growing of sheep feed, it would be as well for the people of South Canterbury to realize that there were very hard times ahead of the province, and that the people, one and all, would have to be organized accordingly.