WEATHER RECORDS: DECEMBER AND CALENDAR YEAR 1926.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1, 20 January 1927, Page 69

WEATHER RECORDS: DECEMBER AND CALENDAR YEAR 1926.

! Dominion Meteorological Office. GENERAL SUMMARY FOR DECEMBER. Rainfall during December was above the average over most parts of the Dominion, but strikingly deficient in other districts. The falls were excessive at times in many localities. Thus, while Auckland and other places near had two and a half times their usual fall, Hamilton had less than the usual average for December. The same striking contrast is seen in comparing the total •quantities in Poverty Bay and Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne having two and a half times its usual average and Napier 60 per cent, above the usual, while other places inland had less than the average. Again, Dunedin had double its usual average quantity, while Invercargill had about half. Rainfall was below the average ■on the west coast of the South Island and in some parts of the North Island. Southerly winds and cold changeable conditions prevailed during the first week of the month, owing to the passage of a storm eastward of New Zealand. A barometric pressure of 28-97 i n - was reported from the Chatham Islands on the morning of the 3rd, while barometric pressure in New Zealand averaged in. higher. On the nth a westerly disturbance passed in the South, and accounted lor strong north-west winds. Another westerly disturbance passed in the South on the 20th, and two disturbances were in evidence about Christmastide, one in the North accounting for very heavy downpours. These two disturbances neutralized each other, however, so far as wind was concerned, but together accounted for mild, dull, and wet weather generally. Conditions were backward on the whole, and haymaking was greatly interfered with in many parts of the country.

C. Bates, Director.

Commercial Poultry-farming. — The Chief Poultry Instructor remarks as follows in his annual report for 1925-26 : “ A gratifying feature at the present time in connection with the industry is the . increasing number of large plants established throughout the country, and which are proving profitable undertakings to their owners. A few years ago large commercial plants were few and far between. Now there are many, ranging from 600 to 1,000 bird-capacity, while in some cases plants are carrying upwards of 3,000 laying-birds. The advance made in this connection is almost entirely due to the improved type of laying-bird now available, and the advanced knowledge relative to the breeding, housing, feeding, and general management of poultry.”

Grass-grub and Tree Nurseries. — Damage by the grass-grub again occurred in South Island nurseries of the State Forest Service during the 1925-26 season, and efforts were made to prevent attacks and protect tree crops. Experiments were carried, out with the aim of arresting the flights of beetles in the vicinity of seedling crops and thus preventing egg-deposition on the area. Screens of plain calico provided with a drowning-trough along the base and of calico, covered with an adhesive mixture were placed as barricades to the prevailing direction of flight adjoining badly affected grassland. Negative results, however, were obtained.

Cereals respond well to superphosphate. Root crops require mixtures of slow and rapidly acting phosphate. Green forage crops are benefited by nitrogenous fertilizers in addition to phosphate.

December. Calendar Year. Station. Total . Fall. Number of PBibjt i i Wet Days. December. Calendar Year. TotalMaximum Fall. Fall. Number Average ofDecember Wet Days. Rainfall. Total Maximum Fall. Rainfall, Average December Rainfall. 1926. Total Rainfall, Average Rainfall. 1926. Average Rainfall. North Island. Inches. Inches. Inches. Inches. Inches. Kataia 1-28 7 0-62 3'28 58-97 50-87 Russell 3-52 8 1-98 2-05 65-22 49-79 Whangarei 3-i6 8 0-70 2'49 76-I5 60-24 Auckland 6-39 16 2-31 2-S 4 63-55 44-18 Hamilton 2-87 16 0-64 372 58-74 50-36 Kawhia 3’24 12 o-8o 3-21 63-92 52-70 New Plymouth. . 4-14 14 I-IO 4'33 67-84 60-18 Riversdale, Inglewood . . 7'°3 . 23 1-70 7’43 116-06 104-48 Whangamomona 5'73 12 i-43 5-98 91-05 79-50 Tairua 10-86 8 i-44 4-3° 74'05 65-82 Tauranga 6-89 13 1-85 3'47 58-14 53-io Maraehako Station, Opotiki 2-76 14 0-46 2-82 50-84 50-77 •Gisborne 5’88 17 1-56 2-16 34'79 46-94 Taupo .. i'43 7 0-50 3-66 45-53 45-20 Napier ... 3-46 13 1-28 2-30 20-89 36-41 Maraekakaho Station, 5:45 16 i-8i 2-21 25-01 -34-81 Hastings Taihape 2-38 12 0-65 3'42 40-54 40-01 Masterton . . 4-02 17 o-95 2-80 38-61 38-71 Patea . . . 5-69 11 1-40 3’35 . 54-62 44-05 Wanganui 2-81 11 o-73 2-63 42-12 36-86. Foxton .. 3-io • 5 . 1-50 2-54 43-84 31-88 "Wellington 3'79 12 0-91 3'29 42-38 48-2.1

RAINFALL FOR DECEMBER AND CALENDAR YEAR 1926 AT REPRESENTATIVE STATIONS.

Station. December. - Calendar Year. Total Fall. Number of Wet Days. Maximum Fall. Average December Rainfall. Total Rainfall, 1926. Average Rainfall South Island. Inches. Inches. Inches. Inches. Inches. Westport 5-10 16 1-56 6'6o 67-51 78-27 Grevmouth .. .. 5 -6i 14 I-I5 8-95 89-12 104-13 Hokitika 7-56 13 2-15 10-70 118-72 116-59 Ross 8-44 II 2-51 12-04 140-26 136-86 Arthur’s Pass .. 16-22 13 4-10 12-02 205-16 156-61 Okuru 12-53 12 4-14 Ji-73 o -37 148-32 Collingwood .. . 12-56 14 . 3'52 8-01 no-47 99-81 Nelson 4-10 II 1-20 2-69 36-96 37-84 Spring Creek 4-80 13 i-53 i-93 34'22 30-31 Tophouse 6-65 14 2-02 5-°° 0 -25 60-78 Hanmer Springs 3'54 16 o-75 - 3'26 44'3° 40-82 Highfield, Waiau 2-65 II 0-48 2-51 28-80 33-38 Gore Bay 3'47 1.3 0-65 2-12 24-12 31-63 Christchurch ... 3’55 12 i-39 2-06 23-84 25-3O Timaru .. • ., 4'02 II 1-30 2-41 23-70 22-78 Lambrook Station, Fairlie 4-13 12 1-41 2-33 26-41 25-09 Benmore Station, Clearburn 2-02 II 0-64 1-77 30-34 24-15 Oamaru 4-69 II - 1-62 2-15 29-46 21-82 Queenstown 2-31 IO 0-76 2-55 33-67 30-53 Clyde 1-84 IO 0-50 r-79 17-72 15-23 Dunedin 7-08 16 1-41 3-48 44’93 36-96 Wendon .. 2-35 9 o-88 2-95 32-89 30-57 Gore 2-33 13 0-51 3'4i 34-42 35-17 Invercargill .. . . 2-16 14 0-52 ' 4-26 47-24 45-98 Puysegur Point 6-72 14 1-36 6-63 95'90 83-61

RAINFALL FOR DECEMBER AND CALENDAR YEAR 1926 Continued.