WEATHER RECORDS: NOVEMBER, 1933.

New Zealand Journal of Agriculture, Volume 47, Issue 6, 20 December 1933, Page 402

WEATHER RECORDS: NOVEMBER, 1933.

Dominion Meteorological Office. From the meteorological point of view November was a quiet month. Southerly or south-easterly winds were unusually prevalent and were responsible for temperatures being rather on the cold side. There was a better distribution of rainfall than in October, • but Nelson and Marlborough again experienced a serious shortage. The heavy rains in Canterbury in the early part of the month saved the situation there, particularly as regards ■ wheat crops. The late frosts of the 22nd and 23rd caused considerable losses of . potatoes, tomatoes, spring vegetables, and small fruits. Rainfall.- —Rainfall was above average north of Auckland, in the Bay of ' Plenty, and eastern districts of the North Island, and in most of Canterbury and Otago. In the Waikato, Taranaki, the . Manawatu, the Wairarapa, Westland, Southland, and particularly Nelson and Marlborough, it was considerably below average. There was an absence of warm north-westerly rains. Temperature.— Temperatures were above normal from Auckland northwards and west of the ranges in the North Island, but east of the main range they were below. The Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay areas had very cold weather for the time of year. In the South Island, Central Otago had a warm month but the remainder a cold one. The frosts of the 22nd and 23rd were unusually severe for so late in the season. In South Canterbury and Otago that of the 22nd was the more severe, but thence northwards, in North Canterbury, Marlborough, Wellington, and Hawke’s Bay, it was on the 23rd that the damage was done. Sunshine. There was less sunshine than usual over the greater part of the North Island, and especially the east coast, owing to the dull weather brought by the persistent southerly and south-easterly winds. From Wellington southwards, however, the normal was exceeded at most places by large amounts. Lake Tekapo recorded 285-5, Nelson 271-0, and Blenheim 254-0 hours. Pressure Systems. — During the first three days pressure was high'and the weather fine generally. . Between the 3rd and the 6th a cyclone moved down from the north on to New Zealand, becoming more extensive in the process. This storm produced general rains, which were of very great value to the country. The heaviest fell on the 5th, when the storm was in the form of an irregular cyclone covering the central portion of the Dominion. The principal wheat-growing areas of Canterbury received between 2J in. and 5 in. Large amounts were recorded also in eastern Otago and in Hawke’s Bay. In the latter district there were heavy thunderstorms. Though cold weather followed it, and there was snow on the high levels, especially in Canterbury, the rain was a fairly mild one. North Auckland had heavy rain in the early part of this storm. About a week later, on the nth to 12th, another depression caused widespread rain, Canterbury again having heavy falls. - This depression was of the westerly type, but a cyclone developed in its northern portion. The third storm system, occurred between the 20th and 24th. Following the passage of a westerly depression on the night of the 20th, a series of cyclones developed over the northern part of the Tasman Sea and passed to the north of the Dominion. Rains were again fairly general, but the parts principally affected were the northern and eastern portions of the North Island. From the morning of the. 22nd cold southerly or south-easterly winds prevailed over the greater part of the country. . . A somewhat similar type of weather was experienced from the 27th to the 30th, but on this occasion there was very little rain in the South Island and the cold was much less severe. Wellington, 5th December, 1933.

Solidified Molasses for Stock Licks— -The . Department’s Chief Chemist reports that solidified molasses has been tried as a vehicle for mineral licks, being roughly powdered and mixed with limonite, bonemeal, &c., and rapidly setting again to a cake on exposure to the air. In this form it is readily licked by cattle out of covered troughs, and should be useful if marketed at a low enough price.

ANSWERS TO INQUIRIES.

IN order to ensure reply to questions, correspondents must give their name and address, not necessarily for publication, but as a guarantee of good faith Letters should be addressed to the Editor. HORSE WITH NASAL CATARRH AND COUGH. “Horse,” EJtham:— I have a draught hofse with a bad cough and a discharge of thick matter at the nose. Can you tell me the cause and cure for this ? Is it contagious ? The horse appears to be quite well otherwise. ' . The Live-Stock. Division :— . Your draught horse is apparently affected with nasal catarrh, in all probability due to the dust contained in the chaff at this season of the year. The cough is in all probability due to the same cause. On the other hand, the horse may be affected with emphysema of the lungs,, commonly known as broken-wind.” In the latter case, in addition to a short cough, the symptoms of broken-wind may be recognized by a heaving at the flank resembling a double expiratory effort. In broken-wind the symptoms are . more pronounced when horses are feeding on dry dusty feed. In either case it is advisable to give as much green feed as possible. It is also advisable to dampen the chaff by spraying it with water to which some molasses has been added. The affection is not contagious, and may be alleviated by the above measures.

J F., Kaitaia

CONTROL OF SMALL BROWN BEETLE.

Could you give me an idea of how to get rid of a small bronze beetle. They are doing a lot of damage to my small home orchard and other plants. We have sprayed with arsenate of lead, also nicotine sulphate, but they are still chewing away contentedly. They seem to leave the peaches and nectarines alone. The Horticulture Division :— ■ Fruit trees and shrubs growing among rough growth, or with rough growth in the vicinity, especially when the locality is also warm, are very subject to the attack of the small brown beetle, Eucolaspis brunnea, during the summer. Where the conditions are very favourable to the insect, satisfactory control is not always obtainable by present known methods. The maintenance of a clean fallow for the greater part of the year has given best results in controlling this pest, as with other soil insects. Arsenate of lead sprays are useful if thoroughly applied, but tight apple clusters should be thinned so that the spray may reach the base of the apple about the stem. The beetles are on the wing usually from November to January, and attacks are best prevented by spraying early in that period.

Xanthine Calculi in Sheep.— The kidney of a sheep forwarded last season by -the Meat Inspector, Moerewa Freezing Works, North Auckland, was found to contain several large calculi consisting of xanthine, this being the first record: of this type of calculus among stock in the North Island. Gisborne Flood Silts.— In the vicinity of Patutahi, Gisborne, floods ■ during the past year left a deposit of silt of varying thickness affecting an area of over 4,000 acres,- and representative samples were analysed by the Department's Chemistry Section. These soils, which were classified 'as silt loams, contained an average of 2-5 per cent, of calcium carbonate, and : were , plentifully supplied with total lime, magnesia, and potash. The citric-soluble phosphoric acid was also above the average. '

Station. Total Fall. Number of Wet Days. Maximum Fall. Average November Rainfall. North Island. Inches. Inches. Inches. Kaitaia .. .. ... 4-12 . 14 I • 80 2-pi Russell . . .. • • ' 8-33 13 • 3‘55 2 • 38 Whangarei .. 7 • oo 17 ■ 2-75 2’90. Auckland .. .. 2-48 15 0-92 3-31 Hamilton .. 2-54 - 7 \ . o-73 4-09. Rotorua . . . . .. . 4‘9i 14 ■ 1 -20 I 4-14. Kawhia . . 3-01 10 o-94 4-55 New Plymouth 3’33 16 0-98 4-82 Riversdale, Inglewood . . . . 4-70 16 1-03 9-22 Whangamomona . •• 7-5i 7’51 Hawera i-53 9 o-57 . 3‘9o Tairua .... 5’24 13 . 2-34 3-78 Tauranga .. 6-oo 17 1-64 3‘3i Maraehako Station, Opotiki 4-86 14 1-18 3‘23 Gisborne .. .. .. 1 • 28 6 0-85 2-92 Taupo .. .. 2-55 17 0-58 3‘5I Napier .. .. . 2-38 13 0-90 .2-43 Hastings ... . . . .. • 08 10 o-59 1-85 Whakarara Station, Kereru 3:55 . 17 . o-75 Taihape .. .. 2-65 15 o-54 3 • 52 Masterton .. i‘39 8 O‘53 2-75 Patea . . ' .. 2-31 7 ' 1-14 ■ 4‘°7 Wanganui . . ... -67 7 O' 60 3-27 Foxton 1 -62 6 1 • 08 3-28 ‘Wellington .. ... ■ ' • 1-58 9 0'45 •2-90. South Island Westport . . , .. .. 6-15 14 1-52 8-85 Greymouth . . .. 6-13 13 i-47 9-01 Hokitika . . .. ■ 27 13 1-14 10-73 Ross . . . . . . 7'44 9 i-75 13-95 Arthur’s Pass . . .. 6-15 8 1-85 • 16-14 Okuru .. .... 12-99 Collingwood - .. .. .. 3-67 10 1 - oo . 7- 16 Nelson . . . . .. 1 • 17 10 0-45 2-99 Spring Creek . . . . 1 -06 8 0-36 2-45 Hanmer Springs 3-n 8 0-69 3-61 Highfield, Waiau . .. .. • 82 7 0-82 2-54 Gore Bay . . . , .. . 2 -6i 8 0-96 2 • 18 Christchurch . . . . • 62 ■ 6 1 ■ 00 1 -92 Timaru . . . . • ;. ■ 4'77 6 3‘O9 1-91 Lambrook Station, Fairlie 5‘24 6 2-86 i-97 Benmore Station, Clearburn 2-29 6 1-07 2-05. Oamaru . . ’ .. ... 4-19. 8 • 64 i-9l Queenstown .. . .. ... ' 2-07 6 0-58 2-74 Clyde. . .. .. ... i-99 5 0-67 i-35 Dunedin . . .. 4-98 13 1-83 3-25 Wendon . . . . .. 3‘25 9 > O • 71 • 78 Gore .. . . . . 3’23 Invercargill .. . . .. 2-54 19 0-62 4-41 Puysegur Point .. 4-08 . 14 1-23 8-35 Half-moon Bay .. .. 2-91 15 I'OI 5-79

Rainfalls for November, 1933, at Representative Stations