DROUGHT BROKEN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 20 August 1907, Page 2

DROUGHT BROKEN.

Per Press Association. ■ Timaru, August 10. Th» long drought broke up this afternoon. Rain started lightly early in the afternoon, but it was not till between 4 and 5 o'clock that it set in steadily. From then on a heavy downpour with a steady wind from the southwest, continued. If rain continues for a few hours longer, it will do a vast amount of good to pastures, and dairy operations generally. The autumn dairy and winter were so dry that all the creeks and all the smaller rivers ran dry, and water had to be carted for miles.

later, Heavy rains, the licst for the past two years, have fallen in this district, the ground being well saturated. Along the coast the rain started about about 8 o'clock on Sunday nigfit, and has continued more or less heavily up till the present time. The back parts of the district were, however, not touched, and the rain making detachment visited the I station whore it was Intended to explode the dynamite and gun-cotton when a favorable opportunity occurred. Three or four shots were fired, and it is said that these were followed by rain. It, however, may be explained that the wind, which had previously been blowing from the north-cast, veered to the south-east, carrying the coast rain clouds over the dry country to the hills beyond. The experiments, therefore, determine nothing so far as the use of explosives for rain-making are concerned. About two inches of rain had fallen in a district about five miles from the locality of the explosions before they took place. It is intended to make further experiments at the next favorable opportunity. *