WELCOME RAINS. THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 May 1919, Page 5

WELCOME RAINS.

THROUGHOUT THE ISLAND.

By 'Megraph.—Press Association. Whakatane, May 19. s Four inches of rain have fallen since' -noon -on Saturday. Napier, May 19. There waa 2.4 in of rain up to 9 a.m. today. It is now clearing up.

!Gisborne, May 19. Heavy warm rain fell :ast night, bring- , ing great relief to pastoralists. i Waipawa, May 19. j The drought has broken. A good ; soaking rain started yesterday morning j and continues steadily. The weather j is warm and hopes are entertained that '| the frost will keep off long enough to -j allow a little new growth to tide the I stock over the winter. Elthara May 19. The long drought was broken last night, and steady rain is still falling. Tt was badly needed throughout the district, Dannevirke, Last Night. Rain has been falling here steadily since Saturday night. Masterton, Last Night. Heavy rain has fallen in the Wairathroughout to-day, and the drought 'is entirely broken. BREAK OF THE DROUGHT IN THE NORTH. ' Whangarei, May 19. During the 48 hours from 8 a.m. on Saturday the rainfall registered in Whangarei totalled 3.28 inches- Outside reports indicate that the rainfall is general throughout the northern peninsula. ! "FARMS BARE AS TABLES." The-drought which is at present being experienced in the north is, so far as «an be ascertained, the most severe which has visited this portion of the Dominion, states the Whangarei correspondent of the New Zealand Herald. Old residents, questioned on the matter, say that they have experienced other "dry spells," of which that of 1914 was among the most serious. Pastures have been burnt up and feed left scanty, so that stock fell away in condition and the milk supply was cut down, but never before has the lack of rain caused such widespread consequences. On all sides of Whangarei there is a dearth of feed hitherto unknown. Paddocks on many well-tilled farms, which in other seasons have yielded rich, wholesome pastures, are now as bare as a table. One may pass mile after mile along the country roads and read the same sad tale. It is not as if the summer feed had been quickly parched up, leaving a dry growth. There has been no sudden burst of heat, but a gradual drying up of moisture, keeping time with the consumption of the diminishing food growth, the result being that both grass and water have slowly disappeared. Quite considerable streams which have been running without cessation for years have dried up, while swamps land mjud-holes have become things of the past. The main streams still provide water, and the bush and gum lands scanty food, but the problem is becoming serious.

Sheep throughout the country are looking well. The dry weather appears to have agreed with them instead of bringing the sad consequences" evident among the cattle. The north is, however, a cattle-raising country, and in this direction there can be no doubt whatever that serious loss has been occasioned by the lack of rain. There is still, from what can be gathered, a fair demand for beef,.but it is only to be expected that the quality is falling off, and the number of fats sent away must be diminished. It is in dairy and store stock, however, that the principal loss is occasioned. The dry season has been disastrous for dairying. Cream carts have ceased to run, and factory outputs have been reduced to a quantity never before known at this time of the year. Dairy herds are being dried off and the cattle turned into the scrub to take their chance.