A STUBBORN DROUGHT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2612, 6 November 1915, Page 13

A STUBBORN DROUGHT

IN SOUTH ISLAND POSITION VERY UNSATISFACTORY. ft may surprise some readers (writes Agricola," the South Island correspondent of tho "Farmers' Union Advocate") to find that we are still having drought in the South Island. The papers havo contained accounts of showers of rain that have just come in time to save the situation. People journeying through tho island see the crops looking tfresh and green, and the grass .paddocks bearing tho appearance of a closely-cropped lawn. What more do wo require. l ' it may bo asked. Surely the country is in a very goad case indeed, and farmers are goiiig to coin money this season, if the appearance of the paddocks go for anything. Well, 1 can assure readers of newspapers ana travellers by railway train or motorcar that the position is anything but satisfactory; iu fact, it is causing us increased daily anxiety, as the weeks go by without rain, worthy of the name, railing. A few puddles on the road alter a shower _in tho night time, or a wet pavement in the city, is not going rru s ¥'°th e country from a drought. . Js-nd is calling out for a soaking ram, which does not come, and the iarmor realises, as no one etae can, tliat the nor -westers th&t succeed each welcome shower that falls oil a parched earth, quickly dissipate the muchneeded moisture, and mako matters even worse than they were before. In addi- ? if frostß are doing injury, and they are becomiug fairly frequent, in fact the weather is hard, the winds are parching, the sun when it shines out scorches things, and frosts that pinch back tender growths and destroy tlio setting fruit are by no means a raro occurrence. We have had showers, it IB true. A few days ago a change came in the weather, and quite a nice drop of rain fell, but in a few more dr.vs one would never have known, from tke appearance of the country, that the vegetation had received a much-needed drmk.

Of course there are localities where conditions are quite good. Along the foothills nice rains have fallen. The lior'-wcsters brought some heavy showers from the West Coast, and the southeasterlies have piled: the clouds, mois-ture-laden as tliey appear to fee, up against the ranges, and some good rains have fallen. But out 011 the plains and along the coast very little rain has fallen—only a few drizzles. A good deal of cold, wet. weather has been experienced in Southland, so that droughty conditions do not extend to that quarter. As I write heavy clouds are drifting over from the east, and in a rt.iny season one could almost be certain of a downpour. But so far it has been an utter impossibility for it to rain this year, ana we are ceasing to be impressed by the appearance of clouds. The country looks well enough from a distance or to the casual onlooker, but a close scrutiny, or an actual walk over the land, will show that appearances are deceptive. The grass paddocks are green, but there is exceedingly little feed upon them, and tho season for the biggest and best growth is rapidly slipping past. Tho crops appear to be all right from ai distance, but a walk through them will disclose the fact that they are short and thin. They have not etooled out as they should do. Thoy are commencing to run up in a spindly manner, and in some cases they are coming out in head beforo their time, though only a few inches liiglr Wator is vory scarce, and stock cannot do without it this season. _ Water-carting is going on all the time, and all sorts of contrivances aro being, resorted to in order to get water 011 the farms. For instance, rams aro being put in water-races, and Fke water raised by that means into dams on the downs. New schemes for wator-races should receive a lot of attention in tho near future. Those who are in water districts already _ may count themselves very lucky indeed, and they are the envy of those who are not so fortunately situated. In the south the grass is doing exceptionally well, and the crops are ruiiuing up J splendidly. In fact a superabundance of straw is threatened in some localities. Work down there is well forward, as indeed it is all over tho island. There does not appear to be much scarcity of labour as yet iu spite of the numbers of men who aro daily leaving us. The only shortage that thero may be is among the shearers. But it is too early to say much in that connection at present as shearing is only just commencing. Roots and rape aro being sown, but there does not seem much chance of a flood stock under present conditions. The small birds , are very deadly on the young plants this season, and farmers are making a thicker .seeding than usual in f,pite c.4 | tho increase in the price of seeds. The drought as well s s the birds render 5k I advisable to make heavier sowings.