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AGRICULTURAL RAINS
Showers ;Over All Wheatlands of ~·State
40,000,000-BUSHEL H:ARVEST STILL PPOSSIBLE
S- ,. ..: ., , - .
Light to moderate rain is reported from all agricultural areas. Melrose
registered the maximum of 76 points. Loxton was the least favored district,
receiving only eight points.
"A most satisfactory rain," said Prof. A. J. Perkins (Director of Agri
culture). "Let us hope that similar weather will prevail for the next eight
to 10 weeks."
Prof. Perkins added that there was no reason why the wheat yield
should not equal the normal average of 12 bushels. This would mean a har
vest of nearly 40,000,000 bushels.
Prof. Perkins perused the first weather
bulletin issued from the Weather Bureau
office this morning. Following a survey
which lasted less than a minute he said:
"The bulletin shows a most satisfactory
rain over practically all settled areas. I
am agreeably surprised, for I feared that
the precipitations were only coastal. This
timely fall has relieved the position, and
is most reassuring.
"Areas north of Adelaide have been
favored with useful rains, Eyre's Peninsula
has generally benefited, and Yorke's
Peninsula likewise. Unfortunately regis
trations are light east of Flinders Range
and in the Loxton district.
"We must hope for the best during the
next eight to 10 weeks. A soaking down
pour will make prospects brighter.
"One cannot forecast the yield," he con
tinued, "but if favorable weather is ex
perienced there is no reason why the
average should not equal the normal,
which is about 12 bushels. The acreage
under crop for wheat is about 3,300,000
acres, so that a 40,000,000-bushel harvest
is not impossible.
"For the State, considered as a whole,
prospects are good. Of course, there will
be disappointing areas-there always are,
even in exceptional years.
"Eyre's Peninsula needed rain, and will
require further falls. There farmers have
shown great enterprise by extensive sow
ings, and it is to be sincerely hoped that
they will reap a fair reward.
'"Everybody is. asking, 'What will the
harvest be?' Our farmers have tilled their
soil well-better, in fact, than in the his
tory of this State. We can tell what the
harvest will be only when the grain is in
the bags, but so far there is no reason
for pessimism.
"Added to tile wish for a normal ave
rage," he concluded, "might be added that
for an improvement in price, which at the
moment seems uncertain."
Unfortunately the north-eastern pastoral
areas were again missed. Hawker (15
points) was the most northern station to
report rain, with an isolated fall of eight
points at Blinman. In the north-east
Broken Hill registered seven points.
Referring to the rainfall during the last
24 hours the Hen. J. Cowan (Minister of
Agriculture) said today that it was a nic
useful agricultural rain, and all the wheat
areas had benefited, except along the
north of the Murray and in the Loxton
district. He regretted that it had not
extended to the pastoral country, which
was in need of a good downpour.
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