THE BREAKING OF THE DROUGHT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1059, 23 February 1911, Page 8

THE BREAKING OF THE DROUGHT.

, REPOHTSiFROM TIIE COUNTRY. '

! : The long spell of dry weather which ' his been continuous in tho MauaWatu dis--triot-for oVer six weeks, was broken on t M&nday morning, .when rain set in culry. minating in a heavy downpour at 5 p.m., and continuing the wholo night.. Tho rain j< will'do sriimmonso amoflnt of good. Althbujh 'thos® in a position to know state I that tho rain will not.idcreaso tho milk f ( supply, it'will prevent a,further,declino t* in. tlie yifld (says.tho "Standard"). Tho f supply will thus bo kept tip much loriger f i than would have been tho caso had no j, rain .fallen. Tho ram was particularly | wclcomo' in tho Kairanga , and StOney t • , Creek districts, where Settlers were be1, ■ 'ginning to feel tho abschco of water very | ' Msnly, some.of -them having to drivo f their; herds to tho nearest stream twice

fv - daily. Tho only people who seemed to C \ be deriving any-benefit from tho dry E ■ ' ■weather wore; taoso who sold windmills, j, ■ large numbers of these useful machines I' having been installed,all over fho district i during tho last, few weeks. Tho effect of }. , the rain on the stock market will be seen p" * at tho various sales during tho week, and ! • as tio rain his been pretty general it | . should haro the effect of hardening prices j. ogain. Ono effect of tho rain was to stop ! the'uumerous grass fires burning throughf . out' the country. Tho damago done is •: t fortunately not as 'serious rs expected. } i Rain commenced , tp fall at Feilding on j- Monday at about 2 p.m., and continued i ■ till ;5 o'clock next morning, giving tho L i- thirsty land a good soaking. A spell of [. .-■■■. seven weeks' dry weather had made tho • r4in specially welcome. In the Kimbol- , ton'district and further back (says the •"Star") the rain was much lighter. . The long spell of dry' weather which V •• 'has ,been experiencedvin tho.AVairarapa ! was broken on Monday, when light show- . ers of rain fell. In tho evening thero ..■was a heavy and sustained downpour. , This will have a most appreciable effect - upon vegetation in tho district (says an exchange); , Portions of Taranaki and Hawko's Bav, ■ also, benefited by brief falls.