Copious Rain Indicates Good Crops Prest Qus Own Conrsroxexr Kiating. Sze. June 12.
June has brought relief to thousands of people in this crea. Copiou: rains are falling and-there is suM-lent moisture to assure the farmers of a good rice crop. The transforms: ion that has taken place in the country. districts is truly amazing. Everywhere there Is feverish activity buffaloes wallow through the rice paddies dragging plow and harrow. men, women and children " are engaged in breaking up the softened clods of earth that a few weeks ago Gefied the efforts of the most industrious labourer, and the more experienced farmers create symmetrical Patterns as they transplant the rice Shoots. In the neighbourhood fully 90 per cent, of the rice has been transplanted.
Tt is evident to the traveller that. this favourable percentage docs not apply to those districts cast of Kiating. More rain may help salvage small corn crop but at present it is doubtful if one half of the fields have been planted with rice. Crops will be later but the threat of famine is much less ominous. This is quite apparent in the change in the mental outlook of the people. The atmosphere of depression is being slowly transformed by a spirit of optimism. Prices that were steadily soaring to unknown high levels are beginning to decline, The outlook is quite promising.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.