TOLL OF FROSTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 187, 9 August 1932, Page 5

TOLL OF FROSTS.

VEGETABLE CROPS DAMAGED. PEAS, POTATOES AND TOMATOES. SEVEREST FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS. "Not for 20 years have I seen frosts as severe as those experienced in Auckland City and suburbs on Sunday and Monday mornings," said one Aucklander this morning. "On Sunday the frost was lodged hard in the ground in the Mount Albert district, and it was also deep in the crater. The grass in places was like a white sheet. With regard to the hoar frost and the whiteness of the grass, I don't remember having ever known such severe conditions in Auckland before."

The frosts took heavy toll of vegetables, particularly potatoes, tomatoes and peas, cabbagcs and cauliflowers. Gardeners say that the frosts will retard the season for peas, potatoes and tomatoes by anything between a month or six weeks, and the financial losa may be several thousand pounds.

Country districts further removed from the sea suffered worse. Conditions were particularly severe at Pukekolie, where, on Saturday morning, the frost was followed by hail. The tops of crops several inches above the ground were nipped and blackened. This does

not necessarily mean death to the crops, but they will at least be retarded for several weeks. There were some early crops of new potatoes at Pukekohe, and these received a severe set-back. Tomato Crops Ruined. About one-third of the tomato crops ih the glasshouses of market gardeners were ruined by the frosts. Since Auckland is considered to have a fairly mild climate, most of these glass houses were not artificially heated, and the crops suffered as a consequence. The damage was particularly severe in the Henderson, Otahuhu and Mangere districts. As a result of the destruction, there is likely to be a shortage of tomatoes in October and November.

Cabbages and cauliflowers, which are generally fairly good frost resisters, did not escape. In the Pukekohe district they were severely affected, and it was thought advisable by a number of growers to plough in the cabbages. The cauliflowers, though a little blackened, will be marketable.

The temperature, as recorded by the Government observer, Mr. S. M. Yallop, in Albert Park yesterday was 25 degrees in the grass. This is the lowest since July 31, 1909. The frost yesterday morning was a record one of 7 degrees. In various places about the city and suburbs there were frozen pools, and one Aucklander yesterday, when he went to change the water in his canaries' drinking dishes, found they were full of ice.