THE DROUGHT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1057, 21 February 1911, Page 8

THE DROUGHT.

TAEANAKI-FBELINGATHE PINCH. t^-.ih^V,-■.•-'::,. -i— -~ ' .v-'v ~ fc?X ;.?* Xnraneki- often" ~kcop9" green' when ['V',' drought has/browned Uio fields of other [.:'-v ,( :parts,..but on occasions.,the •pastures of | v.';,,.'-iuirjland, too, 1 become yellowed.through j,V: : ',;.. : -:;tlie .long-.absonco of ram. / This season fi'.' .ithebrealurii; of'tho drought will bo a red fc'',;-: 'letter day with thousands of Now Zealand p;>'< : and among the number will bo ITO.rivjeTeiy man;within.the borders of tho t":K -'dairying;province. ' :• ■■■;.'..'. t':"^y- ; ''i' ,^tc P° rte . frtim I>fttea 6ntw that tho '(■': -'.dairy farmer finds his milk supply fallpi.k: '.ingaway to an extent'which tho advancs;'. v ',;ed stage.of. tho season is not,suflicient to ['.■:• -£ ; account ,f()r, and ho has. to 'attribute a f,i; ,'• 'Jiirge,-percentage of' tho reduction to tho f:,'"';■? dry season.' The dairy farmer, in-the, Rv .i'Eatea, County is chiefly to be found, back \) ', •'! !on tho hills,, and. thero tho. drought has f?, L -''<'',.,. felt so keenly as ori tho lowerf>;; . * "lying country, which is almost exclusive- '(:' '■■ .''ly. devoted ito sheep. -i'Jjt has been rePi;';;marked iby .observant, men ' that the iSX-x 'springs arid, creeks flowon showing not !'■•.:.?the;slightest.effect from, the absence of {'"■•'-jv-ijiain, and:.this removes one, causo for 'p ''''''anxiety:always too present in some-parts (~.V';, 1 'bf/Newr,Zealand.'; Both.cattle and sheop (':.';• siiJforing,, but'not "sufficiently-to'cause C .' lany, anxiety, or to seriously affect any inr:. ft v ; /> dividual farmer. : .The. roads * are' getting ■ J;-..: ;,,- very. much:, out of-, repair, ■"-and a' good \<i&: 'downfall of.rain is .needed to• cement the' {,' ! , -■' y x loose, Stones and gravel together.: '•;, 7 l(.-V.r.K..Th8'prolonged..drought is;,having a 5 .-'i ■ .'.most,injurious' effect upon tho dairy fjV';-r farmer, (says the.Hawera; "Stnr"), and p';";!;■ the.supply. of milk at some of the dairy f ■!■:;*s': factories has been reduced ,to three-fifths ff^jii'/iofiwhat' /it was this ..time J last year.' of oven longer;-duration- nave F, '•;,:Jbeen experienced in Taranaki before, but Mr 'S:Jhave;jiot'been;sOiharmful;as:in the preti'j:V!'''BCiiti'ca'se because thoy ; have usually been fc-'/r':'TT)receded.by a good spring rainfall, while r W:?>'.last', spring the■ rainfall was ' very light, }!: ! oC'i*h<l-consequently not in ¥''■%•' : l that' v condition to'-, provide. . moisture. for | '•'■*;,■;•' ,sthe pastures over the long-sustained sum-Si-y i\jmer.-drought which -un. to the; present shows no signs of terminating. . |.Sii'.i'MFortanately,".,continues tho "Star," I 1 ?'li : -f: , i''tho hay and onsilago crops:were gath-§-'i;!,'irA*red- in .before tho'. dry: season £>,H "v | them',', and! the.:' prospects. for; tho winter K-'' iare<.so'..-far', fairly-<satisfactory,, but they f.'.'i .".-will .be, much' .raOro satisfactory, if rain K?i;. shortly Icomes,- causing, the grass:,to shoot Fvyi'rt'vfprth, before;.'the autumn'has advanced. K) *~'.; top far.:. Many f'cmci , s i who have recent--f-'■; t'i t'ly arrived -in the, .district nro, not airaro (•'T 'Vi'.-pC tho. value.of.-cocksfoot in land such as M-'j,-';A;-w-o' have in?this,part,of tho.countryliand other fino.irrassos which are .'^piildKe'.first-,to- fqel the effect of dry weaiV, j\'! v .tthervj -'Experience has- proved to tho Tarae 2-J- 5 'aa^kii.farmer 'that cocksfoot for dairying hvi ■ y:pnrposes;;is,\ of; great .'value,. and,can' bo ul :%'] "isyl.'ed ;UDpn > to : provido succulent food iV^-'-iwheh:',all other, grasses havo been- withpy<;.';; •ii'red ; up'by',thn,''heat; of the sun and the fi.vV', nfisence'of ; : moisture." : v ;■■-■,': ,' .;