FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 150, 20 November 1914, Page 2

FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki has an outside reputation for being a province with a very copious rainfall. But its reputation in that respect has been sadly shattered this year. In fact, owing to the lack of rains, things are only "middling" just now, and the shortage of grass is having a serious effect upon the prices of young stock. At this time of the year there are usually plenty of graziers on the look-out for young stock, but as grass in the back country is not plentiful at present, buyers are not very anxious to stock up.—Eltham Argus.

The period of dry weather which the Whangarei district is passing through is causing anxiety. A prominent settler has expressed the opinion that 75 per cent, of the crops of meadow hay have failed, also 00 per cent, of the oat crops. The latter are not running to seed, although on an average the stalks have not reached an average of more than 9in. Many settlers are turning their cattle into the standing oats to feed them off, as it is realised that there are no prospects of the crops being cut for chaff. There is a good deal of feed for stock, as of late the pastures have been refreshed with heavy dews at nights, but there has not been sufficient penetration of hoisture to help root crops. The hilly country, hrwever, is beginning to show the brown tint which betokens prolonged dry weather, and the state of affairs is reflected in the fact that cream returns are falling off. At present many settlers are carting water for both stock and household needs.