CORRESPONDENCE.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16261, 11 July 1918, Page 8

CORRESPONDENCE.

PERIODICITY OF RAINS AND SNOWS. TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —From a collection of local reports and tabulated returns of rainfall, particularly in Canterbury, for sixty years, and personal knowledge of fifty years, it has occurred to me to ask if any endeavour has been made to trace if the rain and snow can be assigned to cycles, or is there any opportunity of arriving at a decision as to whether those elements of tho weather come at fixed intervals due to the laws of Nature, or is their arrival quito spasmodic? The notes of observers might bo able to assist us to decide that there may happen to us rain storms in the months of December, February, April, and July, at certain yearly intervals. The great flood of 1868, has no parallel in Canterbury history, and the snow storm of last week takes equal rank in the snowfalls since 1850. But the floods in the Waimakariri and Ashley of the sixties, 1878, 1887, 1903, and other dates, could be perhaps assigned to given periods. Also the snowfall of this July bears little analogy to the snow storms of 1895, when the Mackenzie Country and Canterbury lost 700,000. sheep. A Fairlie settler wrote me he lost 8000 sheep from a flock of 15,000. When relief was sought after the 1903 snow, it was reported to Parliament 217,617 sheep had perished, of a total value of £164,218. At this period, when sheep, are at a high value, the loss is probably likely to -be very severe. The 1903 snowstorm took toll of 400,000 in Canterbury. Attempts havo been made, notably ,by Mr H. C. Russell, of the Observatory of the Royal Society of New South Wales, to deal with the subject of the periodicity of good and bad seasons as affecting pastoral and agricultural matters, and, in my opinion, this serves as an opportune time to obtain for future reference tho conditions and localities visited, and a map with the depths of the snow kept for future reference. Unlike New South Wales, it can never be said that there are droughts in this country, but otherwise I have noted some exceedingly dry seasons, . and records of these, as well as stprms and floods, would be proper subjects to lie dealt with by the Agricultural Department. Mr Russell, in 1896, proposed to take 100 years of climate for analysis as to droughts and heavy rains. In other parts of the world the relation of the earth to the sun of its solar system, and to the question of lunar influence here produced much to interest weather students, I do not think sufficient importance is attached to our knowledge, or want of it, as to rains, frosts, and sunshine. There is no doubt that Canterbury would in no manner be depreciated by a better -acquaintance with its meteorology, hence my apology for asking you in war iimo to afford space to these lines.—-Yours, etc., J.L.W.

? DEEP PLANTING OF POTATOES. TO THE EDITOE OF "rnv. I'EESS." 3 1 ® r j You have got rather mixed up j m regard to the claim of the agriculi, tural instructor regarding deep plant--11 °j! potatoes and consequent iminu- .' njty from blight. Now lie made no , such claim, but noted the fact that ; potatoes planted 5 inches deep oi" . : deeper seemed to be free from the dis- , case, and I at .once moved that we f should spread this knowledge as widely 5 as possible, but not a$ being. anything t new. The publicity given to the matter [ in your columns must do good, and , your note regarding higher earthing up r and spraying will all help in growing better crops of potatoes. You cannot . drive too strongly .into, farmers and po- . tato growers the necessity for deep cul- [ tivation, breaking up the bottom of the . furrow or sub-soiling, deep planting of ; partially immune varieties like Arran . ,Chief, high earthing up and spraying. i Then one acre will give better results l than two acres just planted anyhow. t . There is no gainsaying the stern fact [ that we are short, and are likely to be , short of wheat for some time, 'and as the potato is really the only substitute ! for flour, any knowledge that will increase the production of potatoes should be«ak widely known as possible. Our instructors and teachers of agricultural classes are all teaching their boys the reasons for better culture of . the soil, and it is the hope of many of us that this instruction will give greater production and so help in the feeding of the nation.—Yours, etc., W. A. BANKS, Chairman' Agricultural Committee Canterbury Education Board. !' DEPARTING SOLDIERS. ' • At the Addington Saleyarda yesterday Sir Vi. J. Horwell, who prior to being called up, was president of the Master Butchers' Association, and who is now on final leave from camp, was the subject of' a presentation city and suburban butchers. Mr F. H. Stael. in handing him a money belt, which was comfortably filled with sovereigns, made eulogistic reference to Private Horwell's qualities, which had won him deserved popularity. The recipient suitably responded.* A presentation was macU on Tuesday to Private Horwell - by ' the Canterbury By-Products Company. ;