THE WEATHER AND AGRICULTURE.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume II, Issue 2, 15 February 1911, Page 80

THE WEATHER AND AGRICULTURE.

[By

D. C. Bates,

Director of Meteorological Office.

JANUARY.

The weather during theUnonth of January was on the whole warm and somewhat dry. The days with rain” were everywhere less than usual, and the rainfall was below [the average except on the west coast of the South Island and a few other parts visited with heavy local downpours. The storms were not of great intensity or magnitude, cyclonic disturbances from the tropics not having visited the country for a longer period than usual, and westerly low pressures this season also showing a tendency to diminish. The latter, chiefly affecting the South. Island, passed on the 2nd and 8th. A remarkable change took place, with a high barometer, on the 12th, when

heavy rain fell about Cook Strait, while the barometric pressure decreased slightly in adjacent parts. A cold snap followed, and snow was experienced on some of the higher lands. A storm of a squally character occurred in the southernmost districts on the night of the 19th, for which the barometer fell and rose again very rapidly. Between the 26th and 31st there was a steady fall and rise of the barometer over the whole of the Dominion, with gloomy and changeable weather, heavy rain and strong winds in parts.

High and persistent westerly winds prevailed in Southland during the greater part of the month.

District Notes

Auckland.— A fine dry January, the rainfall consisting of showers only, falling on eight days, the total amount considerably under the average of the previous forty-four years. Mean temperature slightly under the average. —(T. F. Cheeseman.)

Waihi. January has been a very dry, fine month. The temperatures, while being lower than those of last January, were about the average. The velocity of the wind is below the average for January. On two days the sun was obscured (presumably from bush fires)viz., on the 19th and 20th —and this circumstance has tended to lower an otherwise very high average of sunshine. — (H. B. Devereux.)

Kohukohu. —After a dry month the creeks were flooded. The district had begun to fail, and water for household purposes was becoming scarce, when the rain on the 28th freshened the pastures and temporarily gave |_a sufficient supply of water. — (A. C. Yarborough.)

Waiuku, Auckland. — Grass drying up very much. Milk-supply falling fast. Most satisfactory harvesting month. —(-7. E. Makgill.)

Kawhia. — A very dry and warm month ; smallest rainfall tor some years. Wind very often calm in the morning, but about 10 to 10-30 a strong sea-breeze comes up, and usually lasts till sundown. — (J. K. Newton.)

Rotorua. — An exceedingly dry month in Rotorua. Rain badly wanted. —(J. F. Robieson.) -

Kaitieke (Raurimu). — The month of January has been very dry up to within a few days of the end ; then there was a welcome downpour. Fair dews started about the middle of the month, somewhat counteracting the want of rain.— (H. C. Wedde.)

New Plymouth.— A fine summer month, with little rain. A heavy hailstorm, with thunder and lightning, on the night of the 27th. The southeast winds during the month have been very cold. —(W. N. Fletcher.)

Hiwi, Taihape. — A warm month, with a good deal of smoke about from bush fires. Nearly all the rain (2-125 in.) fell in heavy showers, mostly from thunderstorms which usually fell only over small areas, with the result that in some parts of the district the grass has dried off a good deal, while in other parts it is still green and plentiful.— (A. R. Fannin.)

Waituna West (Feilding).— January has. been hot and dry, the rainfall being the lowest since February, 1909. Feed and water are getting very

short, particularly the water. Most of the settlers are anxiously looking for rain, many for their stock, and some few on account of their domestic supply. The dry weather has . had its advantages toolamb-shearing and haymaking were got through without any trouble, and now the harvest is well on the way. Farther up country the settlers have taken advantage of it to burn their bush, and so far a great part of the month ,the air has. been more or less thick with smoke. Now, however, rain is badly wanted — not a little of it, but a real steady soaking. Two foggy mornings were noted. — (J. Guylee.) .

Waitatapia (Bull's). — Very dry, hot month, a strong drying wind after each rainfall doing away with any benefit that the rain might otherwise have done. Good harvesting weather, but- bad for rape, aphis showing on many fields. — (K. W. Dalrymple.)

Pahautanui. — The weather during the month has been seasonable, with fairly normal temperature ; rain slightly under that of same month of last year. It may be noted that on the 12th there was heavy rain with strong winds for a few hours, but from what I glean it was very local. Beyond an earth-tremor on the 9th, no unusual phenomena occurred. Feed is fast drying, and more rain is now needed. — (J. Pearce.)

Pine Grove (Dannevirke). Very dry month. Very little rain has fallen here since July, 1910. This is the driest year, in my opinion, for over twenty years. — (J. E. Riddel.)

Motueka. — On the 26th the weather was fine and clear.until 3.30 p.m., when a thunderstorm came over from the south-west, with hail and heavy rain till about 7.30 p.m., 0-95 in. falling in that time. The storm was apparently local. — (G. S. Huff

Stanley Brook (Nelson). — A favourable season and a bountiful harvest.. There is one drawback, however, for swarms of caterpillars have attacked the standing corn, causing the grain to drop off from the ear although the stalk was quite green. We have had some seasonable rains, and the cereals are early this season, in many instances the corn being sown and reaped in the same year —an unusual occurrence. Hops are said to be later, owing to the lack of soaking rains.— (A. W. Fugle.)

Karamea (Westport).— The heavy rains at the beginning of the month caused a luxuriant growth on pasture lands. The latter half has been dry; with strong southerly and south-westerly winds, and the settlers have taken advantage of these to get good burns on their clearings. As the grass is still green, there is no danger of the fires spreading, and a bush fire in virgin bush here is unknown. — (E. J. Gilmor.)

- Lynton Downs (Kaikoura). Latter end of month unfavourable for harvesting operations. On the 26th 1-89 in. of rain fell from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. — (T. Harrison.)

Hamner Springs. — Bright sunshiny weather ; very seasonable. All crops in district have now been harvested, and the yield on the whole has been very satisfactory.— (S. J. Collett.)

Christchurch. — A fine month, with rainfall slightly under the average for the month. — (H.F.-Skey.)

1 Gladbrook■ Station (Middlemarch).— On the 7th and 20th we had high winds, which did great damage to the crops. The very serious outlook

has been relieved by the copious rains of the 8th and 12th, which have brought away the grain crops, and assured the turnips as well. Up to that time the grain crops were almost failures, but the dull days since have given the growing crops the full benefit of the rain, and in consequence the crops have appreciated fully 50 per cent, in the case of turnips, and 25 per cent, in the white crops. More rain is now required for the turnips to keep them strong and away from the blight. — (A. McKinnon.)'

Methven (Canterbury). Very cold rain, with snow on the tops, which, coming during the shearing season, caused a heavy mortality among newly shorn sheep.— (J. Carr.)

Pleasant Point.— Strong north-westers on the 20th and 21st did a good deal of damage to standing grain. The weather since then has been changeable and showery, and harvest operations are hindered considerably. Root crops and grass doing well. — (J. Bishop.)

Trotter's Creek (Hillgrove). — Harvesting is general in this district, with fair crops of both oats and wheat. Turnips are promising well, and also late-sown rape, but early rape has matured and is rapidly deteriorating. Stock on grass paddocks are now beginning to feel the pinch caused by the continued drought, as grass has now almost disappeared, and it is necessary to feed cows and horses. Blight has made its appearance in rape and other kinds of the turnip family. The heavy rainfalls of the 12th and 25th instant both came from the south-south-east, accompanied by a high barometer. —(IF. $. D. Trotter.)

Bushey Park (Palmerston South). — A good month, with frequent showers. Harvest is now well advanced, and the threshing-mills are at work again, crops turning out in most cases better than at one time seemed possible.— (Mrs. J. J. McKenzie.)

Gore. — A very windy and dull month. Winds nearly always southwest. — (Captain A. A. Scott.)

Riverton. — The weather for the month has been most varied, but has been mostly characterized by high winds from the west and south-west. The occasional rain has done an immense amount of good, crops of all descriptions benefiting. So far, potatoes are quite free of blight, which I think is greatly due to the boisterous weather. — (J. Geary.)

Whangamarino (Chatham Islands). Up to the present month, February, we have had the driest summer I have known for years on the Island. In January we had only a little over half an inch of rain until the 31st, when we had a fine fall, just half an inch, which has done an immense amount of good. We have had a good deal of high northerly winds, which often end in shifting to south-west, , with rain. This season the wind shifted round with merely a very slight showerin most instances not sufficient to register. On the 20th and 21st January we had strong northerly winds, which must have been more than local, as they brought with them smoke from the bush fires in New Zealand. This was so marked that the sunlight had a peculiar murky appearance, such as would be caused by a smoky atmosphere. Occasionally the smell of burning wood is quite noticeable. Cereals on this Island are confined almost exclusively to oats, grown for chaff for feeding draught horses. A few crops of turnips are grown for winter feed for sheep, and these have been seriously affected by the extreme dryness of the season. — (F. A. D. Cox.)

Departure from Normal for the Month, + above, — below. Station. Total Fall. Number of Days Rain fell. Maximum Fall, and Date. North Island. In. In. In. - 0-19 Pakaraka 3-72 6 1-72 on 28th. - 1-32 Auckland 1-25 8 0'41 „ 2nd. - 5’21 Waiuku 0-76 7 0-28 „ 9th. - 2-85 Waihi .. 2-62 9 1-00 „ 3rd. - 3-59 Hamilton 0-71 8 0-30 „ 2nd. - 1-67 Gisborne 1-04 6 0'46 „ 3rd. - 0-50 Meeanee 1-20 6 0-50 „ 26th. - 1-31 New Plymouth .. 2'64 9 0-70 „ 26th. - 2-67 Inglewood (Taranaki) 4-82 10 1'18 „ 26th, - 1-53 Wanganui 1-42 5 0'48 „ 10th. - 1-21 Levin .. 1-92 10 0-76 ,, 2nd. - 0-39 Wellington 2-99 8 1’30 „ 13th. South Island. - 1 95 Nelson .. 0-94 9 0'45 on 8th. + 4-30 Hokitika 14-08 7 3-60 „ 1st. + 7’42 Okuru .. 15-28 7 4-62 „ 1st. + 0-49 Lincoln 2-48 12 1-52 ,, 12th. - 0'13 Kapunatiki 1-80 8 1-10 „ 12th. + 1'17 Oamaru 3-20 5 1-08 „ 12th. - 0-26 Balclutha 2-14 8 0-88 „ 13th. - 0-80 Dipton 2-18 6 0-90 „ 12th. - 0-75 Invercargill .. 3-37 16 0-46 „ 20th.

Rainfall for January, 1911.