EAST & WEST

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2354, 9 January 1915, Page 11

EAST & WEST

DROUGHT 3ND PLENTY, ; "Thera is not a Wade of green grass within-a hundred miles of Napier," was the statement made by Mr. J. P, Smith, who is visiting Wellington, at present with a team of bowlerß. He states that the season has beeu the driest in the memory of the oldest inhabitant of the district. There have been light showers of rain at rare intervals, but they have been, bo light that the high' drying winds which followed lapped up the moisture before it had a chance to Teach the ground. Seed of all kind put in months ago had failed to germinate, and even the grass seed planted on the bowling green and artificially watered had not come to fruition to the extent of more than 6 per cent, owing to th'o entire lack of moisture In the soil. Strange to say, whilst Napier and Gisborne are suffering from drought, the West Coast of the North Island nas been faring very well. Mr. J. Marks, of Eiltham, states that the country round Eltham is looking exceptionally well just now, after the queerest season ever known in the district. For weeks and weeks they experienced nothing but a series of, or one continuous gale, entirely without Tain, and things looked very bad, but in December good rains fell, and there was good feed pretty well throughout Taranaki. It was anticipated that this year's output of butter and cheese was going to create a new record, but, according to a local butter merchant, the estimate was slightly under the quantity exported last year.