13 JULY 1934, Page 16

Drought Anomalies

Continuing drought has brought many hard problems to country people and animals. Surface-rooted shrubs, even the hardy and common privet and the nuts, have fallen incontinent into the sere and yellow leaf. The poor partridge chicks on the uplands and especially the clay lands die of hunger, thirst— and the gapes. Even the rats are dying on sandy areas in Norfolk. The stock have the minimum of food and the ponds are dry. Yet in spite of all, many crops, especially of wheat, and even of sugar beet and potatoes are excellent. The best lands were seldom better, the worst seldom worse.

W. BEACH TiromAs.