DROUGHT IN THE NORTH.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 120, 13 February 1908, Page 3

DROUGHT IN THE NORTH.

NOT VERY BAD VET. I ■■ 7.;:;;;;>.■'■'■ 'ARTESIAN BORES W THE WAIKATO. I (D*. Tf.EGEAPH— SrKCIAt COnmsroNDENT 1 I -.-.-i; .j - Auckland, February 12. 1 j Sinco, the'.beginning ;of. this yeax tho 'AucK land provincial district .'has experienced one of .the ;driest-'..periods - :it...has;known:'for/-a. of.,in fact; wo/have'been'experiencing a- mild'drought, whereas'last year in January.the';country through' .'an exceedingly heavy., rainfall and floods'." , / -,y . The! trouble, -however, is • not yet anything. from the/period; during';wh'ich/i thord flias. : been, no apprjciable. rainfall.The: pastures, are|stand-'" ing lands aro nbt:'shbwirig .very groat : distress. For instance,;. 011 the light,dry ;c6untry' between' i utaruru.. and-'-Tira-u - :.tho -.turnip- .crops are looking in spleiidid condition; 'and' at Matamata-' the. crops are;-in '•good'order^ but 'tho want; or ,ram is- being felt all. tho' same,"and each;day ;now.is' making a -difference:■: HGivengood rams within '■ a:, week,- the', country: will not havo suffered to; a great extent,: but arij oss ! r . ™° rit ■: 3 - dry'weatherwill 'cause heavy Tho .gum -lands, with: their,'clay formation,' are"'■- standing-;.- the •;.."dry season-*' well, ': andi orchards .on:-'the. gumfields ';are-in • first-rate J. o ™## 1 .- ;V. Most 'noticeable is -the effect- on" the: dairying - country. Grak paddocks bn l hillsides., and ;'in ; . tho, highcr:.-'altitudes'" are' asEuming- a- brown tint, . and on some ■ of:. the island? .of 'tne Haufaki , Gulf"a''gr'ecn ipadd6ckis almost:; rare/ ' AVh'ero/ land' has been re--claimed from swamp; 1 however;' the effect on tho pasture has,, befin comparatively small. Tho' \Vaiuku- 'district, .'somo 1 part's;: pf; the \Vai-

kato, the country ardund 'Northcote,' part of' too Bay "of ;ils]?nds, and;the Whangaroi -districts arp'urgeritlyon need of'.rain,-and aloiig the East, Coast ! tho country, is. very 'parched in appQtfonee:??iTh4isherihal ;spririgs' plateaii looks as if it had riot known rain for at least" a year, arid thorhist along tlie coach route 18 a. .most" pronounced nuisance. - Driving parties travailing any. considerable "distance t' 1 ! 0 ' 1 coatings of dust from: head to foot,',their faces; being almost unrecognis-' ableat. .first Iglafice. ;'!,Tho:drains coming.; in from- ■ tho country' alsoy bcar ""dvidcnco ' of. the :The,dry spell;lias resulted in an"interesting' experiment- in tho'"AVaikato, / where 1 .tho farmers are going in for artesian wells.' At vYaitpa Mr/ Glcespn hadTa;bqro;put.down on his property, and a< splendid .flow was tapped at. 136 ft., tho•!supply being ■ over " 50.000 gallons per -day,; although-. only.-a. two-inch pipe-was Used'.' ;Oii.'itf.:Henfy's property, at \Vaitoa;;a:.bpro was'-'put down 273 ft., 'and 'at floiy : 'of' ; '5000: gallons .'per: tiay' was ,:struck; Tho-'.'water in " both 1 cases is beautifully .'clear and puro. v-•'

' NEW PLYMOUTH. , tai'.Tßr.EGnArri^!^^ . - Mow, Plymouth,, February 12. i Welcome , showers..; ar'o f.reported . in ' some' parts- of the 'provincc,, but as yet' no rain lias fallen, in in'd its surroundings. There are indications of, rain, which. has never •ceu. so fdr i 'many years past.