THE RECENT GALE AND RAIN.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 700, 28 December 1909, Page 8

THE RECENT GALE AND RAIN.

EFECCTS IN THE SOUTH. (By Telegraph.—Ptesa Association.) ■ ' i , ,CHpstthi)i;ch, December 27. 'By the gale-on Christmas Day the.prolific grain- :crops : ?m":>NortK Canterbury, ' were much "laid 1 ' >m places,: but after. ;'.tKe>- fain'?'c4"asedvbnyjSatuf<lah ; iight, i: ;:th'e wind'would shake much of the rain from .them;.-, There, yero light rains on. Sunday, and .-if a 000 l wind '. follows' crops ;will- ba :.'impro've<l. From the Malvetn .'district'it : ; is reported .-'that the ,rain has been' very. welcome-.'in. some: respects,.' the" ■grass es^ci'ally'iequiri'ng-moisture, i:as':it-' was beginning to burn - off,- and the milk supplies were commencing - to diminish..Also root 'crops Mvill 'be i-vefy largelj. is feared,' however, that thehigh iwind.-.and vheavy»■,rain:wll . have .biaten 'down ' the thick lieavy ! crops, " especially .oats;- .which . had grown, to-a height''o£ ,;nearly!:seven->feet 'in. arid rshould thes©' fears be realised. it will be impossible to cut them. This, of course, will cause • heavy", losses.' Several farmers tie-. .Clare that, should these crops'bo "laid/' ■it ; .;.will v; be .'necessary.;torburn them: off-.'to 1 olear; the' land.' - "v ■' '?''''Ashbhrton .'reports. are: to the effect .'that/-' tha'-Vrain v mealit- salvation' to'' tno Jjvheat aiid ! rpot-cropland: vtill: be ..worth' .many'.thousands of.i|jounds' : ,tti .farmer's., JAlso/'large.' 1 areas of''grass .pastures 'were ;scorched up and withered, many ;rape~and 1 -turnip crops were :■ djnng-off for .want of ra'ih'i 'and ".wheat -Waßj'justvih that .stage , ithat.'hvith- a .fem; indre'days of such , ini .tense ,heat as -had. beenexperienced,' the ■heads would have .prematurely ripened off;;:'-;.. There;', ..have ,W ; Jarge>amonnt of V ; th6'. : . general raverago./ yield. -would ' have been' seriously affected. • - i Late-sown, oat crops will ..also greatly ibonofit; by; the ' rainfall,', but,the average yield of. this cereal ,will: be. considerably . ;below the estimate .given in; the official' returns; recently published by . the . Gov-1 ernmont; Thero'is a large area'already, m. stook. and m-any of tne' crops, parti-' . cularly on light lands," are somewhat' of. . 'a'i.disappoihtment', and arc not up to what . :they ;prOmise({';.tq.'biJ in.the earlier ' :jjart'of the season. .