WELCOME RAINFALL

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1933, Page 4

WELCOME RAINFALL

THREE WEEKS OF “DROUGHT.”

RELIEF TO COMMUNITY.

After more than three weeks of sunshine, welcome rain commenced throughout Taranaki yesterday, bringing general relief to the community. To farmers it was a blessing, for pastures had been dried, milk production .had gone down rapidly arid tanks were dry. To townspeople it meant that gardens would receive an impetus in growth, and where yellow lawns were predominant something of the green of spring might be recaptured. The one benefit to the farming community of the dry spell has been thefacilities which have been provided for the gamering of the hay and ensilage. Ensilage has the merit of being workable in showery weather, but it is otherwise with hay. The rain began shortly after one o’clock in the afternoon but at 6 o’clock, so little had fallen that it had been barely sufficient to lay the dust in North Taranaki, though more 4 had fallen in Central and South Taranaki. Later heavier showers fell, and at an early hour this morning, it appeared that the rain would continue.

The streams have suffered greatly and the level of water in most of those mountain-fed has been lower than for many months. At Hawera the rain was the first in 25 days. Dairy production, which at the beginning of the season had been well up on last years’ figures, suffered severely during the last few days and the figures were much lower than for the same period last year. At present the saying goes, "Lo, the gentle rain cometh and the land is content” ■