BENEFICIAL RAIN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 27 December 1939, Page 7

BENEFICIAL RAIN

GOOD FALL IN CANTERBURY! FARMERS REJOICE. BETTER CROPS EXPECTED. - (By Telegraph—Press Association.’ CHRISTCHURCH, December 26. Some increase in the yields of grain from Canterburys farm lands, better, root crops and much-improved pas-; tures will be ample compensation for j a Boxing Day holiday spoilt by heavy I rain. The breaking of a long drought today was welcomed by farmers and gardeners, though not by sportsmen and holiday-makers, and reports from country districts indicate that the rainfall was as widespread as it wai generous. From one to three inches fell throughout. Canterbury. Torrential at times in some districts. the rain was heavy enough tv have caused serious damage had not the ground, parched by weeks of hot. dry weather, readily absorbed the moisture. The chief adverse result ol the rain was interruption to traffic on the Main South Road through flooding on the approach to the Rakaia overbridge. There was a certain amount of scouring on other country roads, but this was the only serious trouble resulting from the downpour. The rain came a little late to assist cereal crops to the fullest extent in some North Canterbury districts, but in others the value of these crops will be greatly enhanced. Farmers, too. report that the rain will make all the difference to young root crops, turnips and rape. An immediate improvement in the condition of pastures will be apparent. for there had been little growth in the past few weeks. Harvesting of wheat will begin shortly in North Canterbury, and the same rain a fortnight ago would have meant a far better yield. In other districts, however, where there was a likelihood of wheat filling badly, there will now be better-filled grain and an improved yield to the acre. Another direction in which the rain will help the farming community is in obviating the necessity of rushing lambs to the -freezing works. The works have been kept open because ol the abnormal season, but provision for killing will become less urgent as the feed situation improves. TRAFFIC HELD UP FLOOD NEAR RAKAIA BRIDGE. CONSIDERABLE INCONVENIENCE CAUSED. CHRISTCHURCH. December' 26. Occurring on what is probably one of the busiest days for travelling in the holiday season, a flood on the main south road north of Rakaia Bridge today, reaching a depth of about four feet, caused a serious dislocation of traffic on the roads. Chief among those affected were patrons of the Ashburton Trotting Club's summer meeting, and these, with scores of other holidaymakers, were forced to take the deviation at Bankside, to get through at all. Torrential rain, almost reaching the proportions of a cloudburst and accompanied by a severe electrical storm, passed over Rakaia early this morning, and, natural watercourses in the surrounding country, being unable to cope with the excess water, swollen streams rushed down ridges of the river basin, converging a few hundred yards north of the bridge. Sweeping down natural gullies on the northern terraces of the Rakaia River, floodwaters banked up on the main south road north of the overhear bridge, and because the channels under the railway line could not cope with the flow soon rose to a height of more than four feet. In a depression off the ramp to the viaduct about an acre of land was under’ water, including several chains of road. At this point early in the morning some vehicles endeavoured to ford the flood, but they’ soon became stranded and had to be hauled out. Only 7 high vehicles could got through the flooded watercourse on the deviation road till toward midday, when the water subsided. As it was many cars became stuck in the,water through attempting the crossing too fast, but helpers from Rakaia towed them clear. For more than an hour before midday there was a line of vehicles, three abreast, for more than half a mile up the Leeston Road waiting to ford the flooded watercourse.