SERIOUS DROUGHT IN DISTRICT

Chronicle (Levin), 9 January 1948, Page 4

SERIOUS DROUGHT IN DISTRICT

GR4VE THREAT 10 FARM AND GARDEN PRODUCE

One of the worst droughts for many years'is threatening Horowhenua. Reports. from Shannon, Uevin and Otaki say that if substantial falls of rain are not experienced within the . next few days, a grave situation wili deVelop." Some rain fell throughout the district last night, but it . Was rapidly soaked up by the bone dry earth. A strong southwesterly learly this morning has minimised the little benefit derived from last night's falL Among the worst affecte.d by the drought are the district's market gardeners, who rely on good crops for their livelihood, and the fajrping copimuiiity. "My peas are shrivelling up in their shell^:. They wiR at least be good for seed next year," was the cynical remark of ape Chinese gardener. '

Butter Production Down Another week of dry weather and the Levin market gardens wfil be entjrely ruined, said a Chinese market gardener today. "Our marrows, cucumbers and pumpkins are not maturing, and are simply dying ofi on the stems. Tomatoes are falling off the- vines while they are green, and the peas are drying up while half-formed in the pods." Lettuce were getuing the "greasy rot." a terrible disease which strikes them during very dry weather. fhe mapaging-secretary of the Levin Co-operative Dairy Gompany, Mr. J. M. Parsons, said this mbrning that milk production was - "going back fast." Suppliers' crops were n'ot sufficiently advanced to enable them to feed out as a coqpter to the dry weather. Already a number of farmers were feeding out ensilage, made in November or Deeember, to keep up their supply, he safd. , ' As an ihdication of the extent to which milk production is affected, Mr. Parsons said that during the first week of January butter production was down one ton on the figures for the same period last year. Only .09 of an inch 'of rain fell last night, reported Mr. H. Harvey, Snr., of Cambridge Street, but it is not- expected that this will make any impression on the hard, " dry earth. Housewives Carrying Water Drought conditions are fast - approaching in Shannon and already duiry production has shown a marked- decrease in the district". Fat sheep and lambs are being ttiurried away to the freezing works bqcause pastures cannot carry them further. If rain does not fall Within the next week or so, the position pan only be regarded with the utmost gravity. Rural housewives are also feeling the strain of the drought as-^tank Water supplies have diminished and In many cases artesian water is the only supply. Water has often to be carted over long distances. After a light shower of rain fel

the early hours of this morning, farmers in this district are casting anxious eyes at "the clouded sky waiting .for the rain that has been so long in coming, and which alone can relieve the serious -threat tq the fiistrict's agricultural prqduc-r tien. . . A good fall of rain has not been reeorded since aboqt fhe mi'ddle of Deeember. The dry pastures have had . a sharp effect on dairy cattle ancjl many farmers are expressing concern at the dfop in" production, wlucb is continuing daily. The position is made more serious by the fact that the usual supplementary cropS, such as turpips .bnd chou moellier are" also showing an unusually slow growth, and can do little to relieve the- parched pasr tures. . M Market Gardeners Suffer Market gardens in Otaki are badr ly hit by the severe drought which is being experienced there. The ground is as dry as tinder a'nd grass, scrub and flax fires have been experienced this week. The fire brigade has had a busy time, answering three calls on three consecutive days. Record Kill At Works A ]\4asterton Press message says that an all time record kill of fajs lambs and sheep was established at the Waingawa Freezing Wprks yesterday, when 8089 lambs and 370 sheep were slaughtered, a total .qf 8459. Had all the lambs been hand? led, the equivalent kill' would have been 8644. On account of the dry weather, which i'§ being felt particularly ip South Wairarapa, farmers are rushing their lambs into the works. Yesterday heavily laden transport lorr ries swayed into the works in steady streams. Employees "of thp Waingawa works are wopking Iqng hours at high pres'sure to handie the lambs. This week the eqtry of cattle and pigs to the works has been suspencU ! ed to enable concentration on the sheep and lambs.