DROUGHT AND BUSH FIRES

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 110, 1 February 1908, Page 6

DROUGHT AND BUSH FIRES

v,'.-. ,-■ l ". .... ■ , I THE RAINFALL. . : ' V' ' BETTER REPORTS TO HAND. , WAIRiR VP A AND BUSH ■■■I. fBI'^TELEGBAPU—SrECIAJ, CORRESPONDENT.) Masterton, Januan 31 ■■■■ • Ilam .continuQd .to-fall m the Rush dis-. ; ; -tjricts all last, night. There was a - sprinkle ■ • iii'tho Wairarapa; .which increased'.to boanti- . fully warm drizzles early :this-morning. 'fim downpour-ceased <at'-.aboufc 2-p.m.. v tho fall vi ' . \forr.tno)' whole twcntv-four hours •, being .32 -1 ■:. ~ pomts.v > Slight: rain/is • falling- to-iuglifc on ; :tbouplandsor tho mountain-ranges. . - Tho' weather is now overcast with lndiea- . , tions- ram. 'Tlio ■ rainfall for - the - • nfonth .is just a- little over J.half an:men for. . the lowlands of. the AYairarapa, with a. slight.i ■ increase .on . this.-amount aloig: the • lower i ranges of tho Tararuasand on the eastern sido of the Maungarakio. ■■■ "■ '.■< ■ ::Rain.has 'fallen onronlv four days of this month,' J ten davsiof Tanuarv last > year,, when the fall for tho. month . registered IN, OTHER PLACES. :a :r-Viv"'CvA: (Bi iTEi.EGRArH—PRESS-ASSOCIAT-105.)..; Elietaliuna, January 31 • • ■ ~'.■■ Ram-commenced last- evening,and; foil • iivi" V ': tcrmittent-Iy. through' tliO'iiight, -23 points. v being Tftgistered. -:The: glass-fell -yesterday, -•>» .• but' this- morning 'is . steadily- 'rising again, i • and. tho weather, appears to be clearing. - Tho : rainfall: has ' freshened the - pastures,- • - «. though much more is needed. - The rainfall to date for the month is 43 points Waipawa, Januan 41 i-I/igbt raip fell -for- an hour this morning, ' , but the weather has notv cleared.: ■■,-..-■■ l " ; Napier, January 31 ■ !: :■ A.;slight shower of• rain, tell this morning, ;> •; v.-; but: only- sufbcient- •to raises the -hopes of <iar- ■ mers that the drought,'had been broken. i.: . Our. Carterton and Greytown correspoiir : v, ... dents state thatr.it^has: been raining—at.the ■ ' former, illacc —for sixteen hours. ; -"V.-' .vV.v/.-V.': -- CRIPPLED SETTLERS. EE-SOWING OF THE BURNED AREAS i?. ■ . - i: Beneficial .rains .have .fallen in.-Nirealm and. >< the Bush-i)isti ict, 1 and thev moic , ■ our Nireaha correspondent.- ' It: 'means \'to,;the . fanners; here, - where - firps ..'have' beenr-so thut-, some -of<tho-grass -i --- v ( roots-niuv shoot.again-instead/of dying.out., Tho i^rass. that .was;. burnt. here - has fc . practiY:• cally. ruined 'a few-struggling been successful in overcoming; the [noneers'i p. cariv difficulties, and- who, were just hegms ; jung-to feel:' tlicir.,foot :-under, them,!-so. to v :-i; 7f .speak,* :aud;-,indess.-liclp.,to. :a - few -is .forth-.. . ; coining we viL'o atraid.some.of the burnt areas, f :>■- '■ -,;v .will remain: unsown. Should this .take place, .1 . . it'will, be - serious /hands: ;;a|,!.weedsi 'f will grow first." : ..; - . > . . -.lwp.iniorhings .after,- tho . lire,: one^.dairy. 1 : .:-i■; ' company, had a. drop,of .540..gallQns..in-.thpir. .tfev ';: .tniilkj.sufiplyj: -;Tliis ..tells -its own] tale.. Ear.-;. / mers' had 'a - severe ..springy, which . caused a ■ t, | record death -rate, in milking cows, -and dair.v----v -....-men- .hadbeen .expecting tp receive >■ their -.- ~ largest-cheques.this.moijth.-: In / conversat,ion i, ; with .one, farmerj.'l learned, that,he.intended : - i drying his herd oft .in February.' r ' -i . ■ Oji Wednesday lpst- a- severe ■ fire ; cros3ed • ovcrva'largo>.area.,of -country near Hukanui, -■< arid , before; :.tho :raiji. icanio. burnt Messrsi■Quinldn ■•and " , POpplewell's.rrailway: siding. : , ,• Quite a lot of thq, tramway, was burned, he- ■ .■! , sides, a .'large :,-quantity of - stacked 1 timberreadv to be trucked . 1 i e SETTLER'S BAD LUCK. "_' f WIND CHANGED / ( ■ , Mr. A. Anderson; .of Taratahi, had- much ill-luck over the • grass-, fires m his. district ', last week. Our jWairarapa correspondent- ■ ■ <: writes'-that Mr.: Anderson watched prac-' n ,7 -,- ticallv for two whole days and-nights; keep- I . ing, his - sheep out -of the way- of what l ap- C peared to-bo an incipient' 'fire.-The: wind:- r • changed from bis- farm, and: ho. 1 left-: for his- i: :.v - homo at Clarcyille. -- He.had - not bceil'gone j- >■ more .than; an hour-when tluywind-changed, n and the fuo swooped down again and cleared, f .- . '3000 : acres, at' the,~ra,te::;of.'looo::acres.Vpetvl a - houiv.;-Mi'. ; Anderson- galloped hack to miistei- d his flock, but ho was, too. lato,- ,and' lost 50 ]i : . Bhcep. : . •■- - . -v' '• f ! v -- •.On iSaturday, gra6? fi.o , cleared, 30 acres-of -valuable': pasture' l owned'-':■■< by Mr. J. Dalo\ —

AN URCENT QUESTION., PROTECTION OF STATE RESERVES. ■ Fires,; m .itho. Maingaterara . Vallov, near Carterton, havo (writes our Wairarapa cor-' respondent), partially destroyed the Government Forest Reserve,. about which thero w,\s :•: sojne/-pi|blicity.- some months, ago owing, to ■•,a..,proposah.that.the v area should: bq. relieved .; of its: milling timber.. Tho schemo 1 was op-' - posed bv all the TOurarapa local bodies and : 'by the, Department niterestpd; - and was cdn--BCfiuontly 'dropped ■a;lt: ls-a'-matter-of conjecture, adds-our correspondent, .as to how forest^reserves should : bo treated; if they aro to he given achgilco :• f to ;'esMpb.',the ' fire•L'.Vljei^pf'tßey' 5 should 'lie sq_cleared of dry. timber and underscrub as to mako them easily accessible' to pedestrians, ,or !.whether :thcy- should be allowed ; -.-tftv-cqutiriuo the'ir .native- /growth,'' utidiis-'l .i/turKj'tl?■;. It/.was.Jiof-ifceabk, that;iin, Uie'- niost ! selected portioir.of Messrs. J. and C- Holms',? ■Matakiwi forest.' reserve, ( the' old -dry 'timber' v . . ftnd'.' ;':;helped'! ' materially.'- ■ to spread■ the .fire; whereas if thero. could, havq ':;baon.'some system.of. clearing"the.wlible area" i' it;lni'gJ^fc';fiave^'b&si^ , I .- easier-to stay the' progress of tliejp'onflagra-' ;--tj6n.~; The' matter,; is'.on'p;.;which might "well' ! - be given some -tonsidoration by the Govern->.ment,Department-of Forestry. " I '~ltiis;;s^ ft. Government sccnic busli : reserves ! have,.been considerably damaged,, iff not do- . stroyed, by tho; recent fires; and, an oxperfc' , , ranger., expresses the opinion that, some -measures mil Havo to be taken by the Government; in future if-,theso forests:'.aro-to- be • -.preserved. is^ su^gestod■ by- tho ranger that areas'immediatply'-, surrounding:the re- - - serves:should' be. totally.-cleared'of anything -in the .shaped timberand stumps,'ploughed, I ■ and then laid, in -grass.- This do'es'.irot' seem" feasible proposition; but tho znethod - has*.h*n• proved -to he a sound oiie by a .number- of .-"Wau'arapa farmers,-, hot- «d . ,mucli. as/ipgards, their, bush,-:but moro with' : reference to their.; dwelling-houses. ;It 'is - ■ ,7£ r 7; be'-.tloiiei'. in the Government "before tho ■ next summer comes. ,:.- 1 • ■

* THREE WEEKS IN SMOKE. V " got mto.thq,'smoko- of bush fires after leaving .Napier, said the Hon. It. M'Nab last evening when speaking of his visit to «nc .bast Coast, . and with, hardly any oxception, wo.. wore, continuously in smoky country:lentil . roaching -hero—practically three .weeks in. smoke. ..Sometimes for davs it rWa.-) difficult to sc<3 very, far ahc.nl BVtweou Gisbornc and Tolaga Bay wo;could hot g"t a ueu from anj of the points of observation. , Inrr,severe everywhero.'' Mr M'Nnb •aid he. found; on both tho ; east; and . west coast' tho. country was suffering : considerably 'at 1 -'-' Gisborno werecomplaining that,'.,- ow s ing<,-;to <. want,. J6'f water,,;.%y . could, .not ...comply:', with'-'.the dipping conditions m regard to sheet). The oountry,. on .the li)ast Coast especially, presented .tho appearance/ of Australia in midsummer,- . •• ■ ■ . ■ ' . IN THE MANAWATU. LEVIN AND OTAKI Our. Levin correspondent writes:—ypry vrolcomo und much-nec<Jcd rtiiri fell in : this district (Thursday), doing a considerable amount of .good to lifo; arid replenishing many empty'tanks.-. . Heavy ■: rain' foil for : . a.' short'' timo to-day (Friday), 'writes our Otakf 'cori:espon'dent, while occasional showers weiV frequent" during the night. Unfortunately/the rain ;diii

continued.- and wind became tho predominating oloment. However, bv the showers thai fell tho district will-benefit considerably.

SLICHT FALL IN WELLINGTON. ; M ATlliß-SLI'PLY. Light-showers fell in yestorday. ~l.ho wholo sky .was' over- ' ca'st ? ' iiiid tlio' indications seemed to point : to' a .wet day. but as thejiiiorning adyanend the . wonthcr. cleared,' until-at noon' w.is shuuiig:as bnglitlv as ever: Tho'liir.' how-' - -over,-Wiis-much-cooler than it has.;heen for j some , J The rainfall, at. the .Corpora tion . reservoir :at : .Karon was .14 .jwiiits—not i onough :to make '-much difTer'enCo - to' tho I. water \supply;X,,To-.-,th.o suburhan -residents !, who arc dependent oil- tanks, even oneseventh; of an'inch of ram has/ .pf .course, . , broii^ht.: somo; small.' Vjiea'siifc' pf relief. . The' . .municipal'; reservoir,: at Wai'iiiii; is- "a littlo - -better'.off; than, r it-^was soino days/ago,' hilt ■' :it- a is 'still 'desirahld' that consumers', of the. ,water should > practise eeonoiny,' especially . since tho' wisheil-fpr downpour' 'secnis to be : lagain iiidefmit(?ly''-pps-tponed. ' ' ' . ~ SOUTH ISLAND. DETVILS OF N ELSON-LOSSES. ■ ./..(from our. srECiAi/ conKEsronnF.XT.)' .. -. i:- . Nelson, January 29. Tlio I 'ivhple' 'district -is -..suffering from the woes:-'pf.-'drought pivj.a limited scale'. There is'scarcely'a; or range of hills on which . -grass ; .'ana •-.buSh'-.nrcs aro .liot-. burning, and both town and "'country have, been for weeks .Again 1 and again settlers haye been compelled'to fight for the homesteads, and: in -one or two:;:ins'toiiccs. tJieir' efforts have" ;ih vain. points as'far asunder as jMotupilcoi Shcrrv, -and Mo;irerej ; . houses have .been-burned.-,'The..destructiou of, grass and fencing -has.-been. most, serious, but in most cases stock/have been safely .mustered before, the ■flames.reached >the holdings, rind the loss in ■this rcspect. has jiot- been great, \j, Mr. H. Baigont, an ex-Mayor-o£ tlio city; has lost very-heavily through the destruction of two sawmills.- 4ho'mills were sixty miles distant .'from one : anotlier, but the firo found : them lioth, and ju each' case ■: only tho . belts and s!\ws were saved. Mr. F.. H. Baigeut also l had a,small sawmiUmg plant destroyed, and '-.several fcther mills were seriously ondangcred: 'Tile fires are still burning in tlie ■green 'bushj i iind- much valuable timbei"'has beeii lost-.'• • 'S ••,' -.Severali:settlers at -Upper -Wakefield, had 'r.h' excitinr',. battle; with .firo last-'Saturday , ■ nigbt... , .Av.sparli froiii a 'passingeiVgino : seems ?to/hayoV:lightcd" the -dry grass';: hut, hy' 'the ;otfort-sVof.,tliV"'fitO:fi^l|ters'-and -afortunate;chiingc f .in 'tho -direction.'of the.'-.wiiid; .the serious: damage was-(lone:.-:-' .' • :■ . .FIIIES SUBSIDING , PROSPECTS OF RUV Nelson, January 31.The fires are reported, as having subsided, and ' thOTc,',:are v .strdng. ! ' indications .of., rain.' \ 'Last .^light^'the,, v sk>; s- obscured bjr dark ; : 'dpnclsi''.Dn^.oiili?-.ai'lfe'^'dro^S v fell!. .- 1 . \ To-night bean' banks-of eloiid have'rolled tip -from the. East,{ and -there has- been :,a : .considerablp drop-iin: .the'. temperature. . i

' ! BI ;TB,iE^i^i^^M^yASs6aA.WOjr.)';. .V-- , :■:••-.- Ghristcliiircli, January 31. . ,'H^aVy. : rain: -foil;..at'. intervals -' during last .night';',;.This',jpbrrii'ng''roads. t were. > damp ( 'but tlipy, liad been, so ...long-, .vndcnr; the fierco sun ■ that'-.'tho/rain-.was, soon; abspfbed.-,;. -. By 10 o'clock, virhen. tho suu again broko- out,; and the' day :Wasias'r>yanlf: as ever, the .damp had almost' dis.anppared : ! {:' The showers, however,. : : will, do the;; pasture- and.; feed ..crops., i -. ' ■ Ashburton, January 31. ilaui'rhas fallen lierc, and should do inuoh good. . .- . .■: ,'i