THE DRY SPELL

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 26, 9 March 1942, Page 4

THE DRY SPELL

"IT is a heart-breaking business to hear some of the farmers from Onepu and Te Teko,' said one businessman last Satin clay to a BEACON representative, when the topic; turneu to the subject of the continued 'dry spell.' The matter, however is getting very serious for those farriers with holdings in the area known as 'the desert.' Here there is not ■a blade of grass to bfe seen. Ail is brown and parched, in spite of lhe short break which occurred a fortnight ago. In practically every instance butterfat production has almost reached the disappearing point. Supplementary feed is being given to stock iij order to assist, thereby cutting into v,inter fodder. Some have found the position so hopeless that they have been forced to remove their entire herds to other and more favoured pastures. Onepu, has long been considered the problem of this district as ±at as fann ing was concerned and, it ill-became the Government which was responsible for settling it when its previous history was known to all who understood the plains* Unless some de finite action is taken to relieve the situation there is every prosper of this district seeing afresh the melancholy picture of deserted farms, and families 'walking off.'