The Wairarapa Daily WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1890. OLD TIME WEATHER.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3469, 26 March 1890, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 1890. OLD TIME WEATHER.

J The old time weather in New Zealand was very: different to the cliniatic experiences of the past few years. We wero wont in former days to have our early rains and our latter rains with unerring precision—tho spring showers came as spring showers ought to come, there was a summer rain at Christinas time, and about Maroh tho dry warm weather broke, and the pastures were prepared for winter's feed by a persisted soaking. Iu those days, the old settler knew almost to a day wher rain might be oxpected; he coulti draw upon it at thirty or evon ninet) days' flight, with'a certainty that his draft would be honored at maturity Ho would warn the inexporienoet uovico not to shear or cut his grasi before such and such a day, and if thi ;yro look the hint, he could depeni lpon dry fleeces or sweet hay, as tin ;aso rninhfc be. Now, if one of thos ild prophets ventured to cock hi raalliei' eyo and, guided by th '■•sifnis n, - , iotod V»-'

ancpfc signs, predicted a week's ram, Che chanqosfjrfl that tho clouds would roll by before two hours are over, and a blue sky laugh to scorn the, wisdom of the venerable pundit, The fact is, during "the past half dozen years the weather has been generally eccentric and nnroliablo. Whether this section of the globo has been flicked by a comet, focused by a sun. spqtiOr agitated by some subterranean disorder, we know not; all that we are conscious of is thai we have been through an abnormal cycle, which has injured the reputation of New! Zealand for possessing the finest ! climate in the world. Tfuoro is, however, some consolation in knowing that during the past year there have been indications of a return to the old time weather. Wo have not exactly bad good weather, but it has certainly tried to be good, and it is evidently moving in the direction of old grooves. One pf the old traditions was a break in flip .weather towards the end of March, and it will, perhaps, he remembered that this month and the month of September were tlifl (wo flood seasons of the year. We liavo not just now auy sign of flood, but we certainly Jjave the periodical change in the weathor that was wont to witness tlie departure of Jho dry, warm summer and usher in the fliojst, cool autumn;' The rain of the past ■&» (Jays has been punctual, seasonable, and invaluable to. the. agricultural and pastoral interests of the colony I Wo iwiyot wnw faitU io {tow BfliW

weather, notwithstanding the untoward experiences of. the past half I dozen' years, and believe'that it is slowly but suroly returning lo the dolightful grooves in which it formerly worked. Of course it is I contended that the denudation of tho

surface of the soil by the Vandal axe of the. buslifelk is sufficient to account. for the special climatic characteristics of tho last decade, but

there are still sufficient trees on our ranges and:plains to'seoura a fair rainfall, and there must have been some other remote cause or causes

during tho past fow years to bring about the long droughts through which from time" to time we have passed, Whatever those'causes may liavo beeu, we have some belief- iu a law of compensation, and some hopo that the dry cycle which has been so disadvantageous to the settler will be now succeeded by a more humid period, •■■'''.