SOUTH ISLAND DROUGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 September 1915, Page 3

SOUTH ISLAND DROUGHT.

A SERIOUS OUTLOOK STOCK BEING SACRIFICED. Dunedin, Monday. Last month was admittedly the driest August, known in this part of the Dominion in the recollection of the oldest inhabitants, and unless rain falls shortly the outlook in the country districts will be serious. Roughly speaking, the pastoral position in the three big belts between Christchurch and Invercargill may be summed up in a few words. From Christchurch to Dunedin the situation is desperate, fraught with alarming possibilities shoujd rain be delayed much longer. From Dunedin to Clinton rain is necessary. From Clinton to Invercargill it is desirable. In Canterbury there has been no rain for practically twelve months. Farmers have been holding on to their stock in the delusive hope of rain, and now are sacrificing them, for anything unfit for the freezing works is practically unsaleable. Constantly the Dunedin agents are receiving communications from Canterbury farmers, desir- 1 ing to send stock to Otago or Southland, either to be put on feed or sold, but is it taking the agents all their time to dispose of local clients' stock. Fat sheep are realising extreme prices for export freezing, buyers offering the tremendous price of CJd per lb, sunk." " !

So far as Central Otago is concerned, the upper reaches of the Clutha River and the top end of the Maniototo Plain had an inch of rain a week ago, but the lower end of the plain has had no rain, and 'the same condition applies on the coast and-at Miller's Flat. Nevertheless, if rain comes soon, things will bo all right in South Otago. North Otago's situation is pretty desperate. There has been no' rain of importance for months, and it lias been found necessary in many places to kill the lambs to save the ewes, which have been in too poor condition to nourish them. In other cases the ewes have been killed to savo the Bkinr.

A good deal of grub is in the crops. The winter and autumn-sown crops made a good start, but have not come away well. • Even now, a good rain could revive the. crops, but the outlook is not sanguine. Prospects are brightest in Southland. Farm work there is well advanced owing to the exceptionally dry seaßon, and in the western districts the country is looking well, there being more grass in evidence than on the Taieri Plains.

Stock in Southland has never come through the winter in better condition, and if a little rain replaces the hard, dry winds, it will be an ideal spring for the south. As to the winter-sown grain, in the districts immediately south of Dunedin it could now do with rain, but no anxiety is being expressed by farmers so far as crops in these particular districts are concerned. But for North Otago a good and early rain alone can save the crops from complete failure.