FARMERS' TRIALS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 187, 25 August 1937, Page 13

FARMERS' TRIALS

Australian Droughts Affect Stock RAINFALL INADEQUATE Stock in low condition, the result of an indifferent rainfall and many heavy frosts in different parts of Yictoria, New South Wales and Queeusland, wero observcd by Mr. H. DampierCrossley, of Canterbury. What virtually amounted to drought conditions wero prcsent in New South Wales, he said, although he had heard siuce they left Australia there had been a fairly substautial rainfall. Eainfall in pastoral areas w,aa totally inadequate in the last two months, he said, particularly in New South Wales. Heavy frosts retarded the growth of young feed nourished by earlier ruins, and last mouth many graziers were haud-lceding their stock. This apphed gencrally to some of the central western districts, where conditions had been unsatisfactory for some time. Grasshoppers had deuuded many properties of feed in the autumn, and since then insufficient rain* had not helped a recovery. In the upper Hunter and Liverpool Plains, light showers -yvere receivod from time to tijue, but they were of little benefit, and stock generally, especially the heavier varieties, were in poor condition. Stock losses were not much above normal, in spite of the adverse weather. Good soaking rains would be welcomed over the whole of tho inland areas of the State. In Queensland the districts largely devoted to grazing received rainfalls of varying intensity in June and July. Sections in good condition had rain, but those in necd of it received little. Early last month the position .iu the dairying districts caused some concorn to tlie farmers, On tlie voyage ovcr from Sydney to Auckland, Mr. Darapier-Crossley heard that various parts of Australia were reporting substantial dowjjpoars of rain. Ilis commcnt was: "They nceded it. But atock recovers ^uickljr."