BUSH AND GRASS FIRES.

Press, Volume XLVII, Issue 7747, 30 December 1890, Page 5

BUSH AND GRASS FIRES.

' Yesterdaythewlad changed from northwest'to couth-west, bat rain , only fell Along the hlMUtthe northern district and did no 6 reach thePlatne, • ■ Oar Little Biver correspondent Writes:— Our settlers have been gre&tlv excited* lately by fires, and very serious lof» M* been entailed oa some of theixv On. Sunday evening, Slat inst, flree were lighted in some felled bush in the western valley on land of Messrs Acton-Adams and H. White. Much consternation ensued among those having eropf of grass seed, as the grass waff well ripened, and »lio£ wind Was blowing, circumstances Inducing a rapid spread q>l the Ore. The owners of the threatened crops were Instantly on the alert, and continued by night and day their efiorta to secure their safety. S tue damage wai done to the seed of Mr Wm. Joblin, aenr., and Mr Brickland, but it was not material. Oα Wednesday evening at about nine o'clock dense clouds of smoke were eeen rising in tho eastern valley, and as it was. knovrA that Mr Acton Adams had a largo block of felled bush there much alarm waa felt, about the crops of seed on the land pv which it was bounded. Mr Uoop ioimediacely eeut a a umber of hands to protoot« it pbssible, his grass seed, the finest part of which adjoined that of Mr Acton Adama. Mr Black wa* almilarlj circuoi* eotiuced as , regarded his need, bub unfortunately he was, .absent from the Peninsula. Mr Coop's banda were con* tinuooaiy engaged day and niuhfi till Saturday In efforts to arrest the ore ana prof«icb , their seed crops, which the flr« quickly reacfted. Their efforts were only partially euccessfi|l. StiJl by Saturday the are was pretty well mastered, though not extinguished. Had it not been for the efforts of Mr Coop's eons and men It la hard to say where the destruction amongst the crops of his neighbors would have ceased. As it is, Mr Coop has lost 120 acres of his best seed, which at present prices would represent at least £400. The Blacks' loss is very much greater, the fir* having burnt an area of between 200 ana 300 acres, representing a value of at least £1000, the seed destroyed being eXcep* tionally fine and heavy. Pur Dunsandol correspondent writes :— During the p«st ten days we have bee* experiencing nothing butt howling nor , westers, accompanied with much heat, The crops are almost burnt' up. In some cases farmer are cutting their wheat in tills coudition for hay. .Last year aboetf 135,000 bushels of grain were arown in out district; thie yenr I am otrald there will hot be more than 60,000. Feed is very scarce. Turnips are making very pool headway. Those farmers who are fortunate enough to have any grass seed ar* busy stripping 16. Some have doaeaome harvesting. Last week a serious fir* broke out in the Selwyn riverbed. The ground being so dry, "the flames travelled with terrific rapidity, burning a large quantity of riverbed occupied by. Mr J. Sodden. The othej-losera were Messrs W. Stanford and W. McDonald.

- A steady rain, lasting for several hours, fell at Ashburton yesterday, A few lighl showera fell at Timaru, Temuka, and Orari.

Pleasant rain, says our correspondent fell in the Temuka district early on Mon* day morning, and continued for eaveral hours. If the, winds will keep away the rain will do much good, but otherwise it has not been aulficlently heavy to be 0f much service. - » A splendid shower of rain, which lasted for about three hours, commenced to fall at Geraldine yesterday morning about sUe o'clock. One or two light ehowers also fell during the day. The rain will have .the effect of cooiiujs the surface of the ground slightly, but will do very little more. A correspondent Jtelegraphed yesterday front Pleasant Point at» follows:—Heavy rain, fell last night, and it is still (2 p.lh.) raining, with heavy clouds and every prospect of wore.