THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 9307, 7 January 1896, Page 6

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Our Leeaton correspondent wrote yestorday—A moeti disastrous north-weec gale visited tho BUeamere district on Saturday. Between noon and 4 i>. in, the wind blew with great violenoe. The damage done to the oropj is very great, and up to the timo of writing ir. ia impossible to estimate the damage done. Mont disue&rteniug acoounte are b«ing brought in all day. Iv one case a farmer Ims had ninety acres of heavy grass seed blown away. Tho crop would uave threshed out forty bushel* par acre, and now it will not thresh ton; in fact, it is lost. To-day the Ellesmere district is experiencing the effects of a most disastrous nor'wester. The wind blew with some forco on Friday, which has had tho effect of drying up grass hay aud the early oat ciop*. The wind has blown tho giuss all over the country, filling roade, ditches and crooks. Another farmer had twelve acres in sheaved blown across country. Wheu the wind went dowu ou Saturday evening he had to cart sheaves out of a large creek, which they had blocked up. Several paddocks of oats and barley have been threshed ouo and broken dowu with the wiud, so as to be alinaat worthless, and in several cates not worth cutliug. The wind has been worse on • heavy crops, which have been much broken about.; The heaviest gale appears to have crossed the country in strips or bands. One part of the country is ruined, the adjoining part ia only generally damaged. Of course the great damage has occurred to the early and almost ripe crop*. The later aud greener crops are uoi; so much damaged and will recover. The result of the gjkle is very disheaiteuiug, when everything promised exceptionally heavy and ft'uo crops.

Oar Malvern correspondent writes :—A heavy nor'-wester blew hero all day on Saturday, and has knocked the crop 3 about a good deal, aud damaged trees and fruit a good deal. The dust was so blinding that travelling was a most unpleasaut experience. All the rivers in the raugee were flooded, preventing the mail coaches reaching Springfield until Sunday afternoon. Haiti fell over the plaius on Saturday evening lor about three hours.