SHARP FROST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 167, 18 July 1938, Page 9

SHARP FROST.

TWO DEGREES IN CITY.

CITRUS ORCHARDS ESCAPE.

FINE SPELX, Bum TO-DAY.

Temperature on the grass at Albert Park, where Auckland's official meteprological obeervationa are made, fell yesterday morning to two degrees below freezing point, - recording the heaviest frost experienced this winter. In the suburbs, however, frosts of four, five and even six degrees coated lawns, gardens and paths with -white, and exposed water was frozen over.

Recording of two degrees at Albert Park does not mean an unusually severe drop in temperature, but the reading seldom goes" lower than four degrees below freezing point. With the succession of frosty mornings there has been a run of crisp, fine weather somewhat uncommon for/thie "time of" the year, and yesterday was the-fourth successive day on which more than nine hours of continuous bright > sunshine were recorded. >

To-day, however, brought indications of a change. After reaching a high point during the week-end the barometer had shown a downward trend, tb,e wind had turned to north-east, and the grass temperature had risen to 35 degrees— ihree degrees above freezing point. At noon the sky was clouding over, and a drizzle of rain began. Citrus growers were thankful to-day that the succession of frosts had come comparatively late- in the winter. "If you get an early frost, you can look for trouble," said, an Avondale grower of oranges and lemons. /"When it comes in late autumn or early winter it can cause serious damage to young, immature wood growth.

"By this time, however, the trees are more mature, and there is far less risk. The frosts have been very sharp here, but so far <as I can eee op damage has been done. The fruit, which is xipehing well, is not affected." ' Slight damage may have been I done to young tomato plants under glass, in low-lying areas, it was stated. In most coolhouses planting is only begun this month, but where heat is used the early plants are coming on well, and the cold may have penetrated and damaged those nearest the walls of the glasshouses.

Young flower seedlings wilted in open places, where the frost was most severe, but many gardeners had been warned by the coldness of the previous nights and had taken precautions to shelter their plants. In places shaded from the sun, potato' crops at Pukekohe suffered to a slight, extent. ''..'■■ '