SERIOUS DROUGHT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10273, 7 May 1919, Page 5

SERIOUS DROUGHT

m HAWKS'S BAY

TARMERS IX AN AWKWARD I'LIGHT. If the sheep farmer in Hawke's Bay Makes large profits, and it would be rery difficult to dispute this, on the >taer band he occasionally makes seri)us losses as n. result of periodical irought. At the present time there « a drought in Hawke's Bay extending from Dannevirkc to Napier, that is uuising very serious loss to stock in tonsiderabiy depreciating the value of »heep and that is causing the, outlook :or the- farmer to be a very dismal one. While there has been a good deal of fain during the summer and autumn on the West Coast and in the northern Dart of the Island, there lias boon wacticallv no "rainfall in Hawke's Bay iince Christmas. At the present time i lafge area-of the country Is practiDallv destitute of herbage. Large tracts' of country that at this time of the year are usually verdant grass paddocks are now completely ban». SHEEP AT 4s EACH.

■v With no immediate prospect of rain the farmers are in despair for the peans of grazing their stock. They fannot send their stock to the freezer because the freezing chambers are already congested. Startling as it may isem, it is nevertheless a fact; that sheep in Hawke's Bay this week are being sold as low as 4s each. Some itations there have commenced to boil iown, this process giving them a return of 8s per sheep for tha skin and tallow.

it is worthv of remark at the same time that notwithstanding tho fall in fhe price of sheep householders in Napier and 'Hastings are still paying 4s for-a half-leg-of mutton —that is, at th,e,-rate of-8s per.leg.,.. ,-,lf the rain monies now it will be too late to 4o any good, as already there have been some heavy frosts in the district and the heat has gone out ot the ground to a considerable extent.

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SOLDIER SETTLERS.

Tho argument is being used in Napier that the present is an opportune time-tofopen-landrnorth of that town to the soldiers,because there is a good deal of grazing north of Napier on land which it is contemplated to use for soldier*.' settlement, and the opportunity is a good ono to buy sheep at low prices. ' ' !

. Tho matter was referred to by Mr J. Vigor Brown, M.P., in a letter to the. Minister for Lands. Mr Brown suggested that the Government.should buy some, of the stock which, owing to the.;.brought,'.jtie**'farmers are unable id feedi By this means the pressure on dried-up pastoral country would be relieved, while at the same time stockfor soldiers' farms could be secured at Moderate

Hawke's Bay is not the only district •suffering from drought (states an exchange) for in Gisborne and tho Poverty Bay district there hare only been t» inches of rain for the four months 4hia^a^,a.s-jt<>nii'ared;t?"i t h *24' inches test. Tear. It is thirty-one years since Gisho/Oe experienced such a dry .spell for 'the same period.

trouble in the wintbri/ess noht/h. "'

Discussing the condition of the country at tho conclusion of his Northern tour on Saturday Jast (states tho Auckland "Star"), the Minister for Public "Works (Sir William Eraser) expressed considerable- concern at the dried-up character of tho pastures, following upon the prolonged drought, which was noticeable, everywhere he had been...<He' remarked that, judging by what he had seen, the outlook was very serious for. some of the smaller settlers, and losse3 were already being indicated by the prices at which now selling, compared with those of last' year. . Another well-known agriculturist and ■business man of the North fully shares the prevailing apprehension with regard to the eeffcts of the drought. The trouble, was. fcft observed, that climatic conditions in what they .were pleased to call the Winterless North so favoured the farmers that in normal seasons the preparation of winter feed was dejernetF'tio be unnecessary. Consequently many of the farmers were absolutely without feed \oi any. description, and serious losses wonld be encountered by many of the settlers, who would have to dispose of their stock. "The experience of this season clearly demonstrates that it is folly for the Northern farmers to rely upon the old surface grassing, which they deemed to be sufficient, and they must take to the plough to a- far greater extent than they have done hitherto, in order to get .better results from their land," said" the speaker. "I am convinced that not-1 per cent, of the farmers in this district have made provision for winter feed."