WINTRY WEATHER

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 19736, 28 September 1929, Page 14

WINTRY WEATHER

A SOUTHERLY STORM. MORTALITY AMONG LAMBS. As cold a snap aa has occurred throughout the winter was experienced all over the province during the past two days, adding to tiie inconvanienco and loss caused by an already particularly late seao^n —the worst, in fact, that has been known in Canterbury for many years. The wind veered round to the southwest on Thursday tnornmg, and this was the herald of a southerly storm which broke in the evening to the accompaniment of heavy rain and sleet showers. There were heavy rails ot snow in the higher country and the fort Hills were heavily coated. The farmers on the ranges and foothills will be the heaviest losers, as this break in the weather has come when lambing is at its height. Gardeners and fruiterers will also suffer to a lesser extent Heavy mortality is anticipated among iambs in the back districts, where snow is lying plentifully. The farmers there are already suffering as a result of the lateness of growth due to the worst spring that has been experienced tor a considerable number of years, and this heavy weather will add to their losses. Snow commenced to fall in the Hawarden and Culverden districts on Thursday, and after a stormy night heavy showers of hail and snow continued yesterday. There was snow Iving on the ground right down to the flats, and there was a heavier coating on the ranges than there has been for many veara at this time of the year. Lambing on the foothills is just at its peak, and with the wind and snow of Thursday night and Friday, few of those dropped would survive. Lambing on the high country has not yet started but in one or two front places it has, and the losses there are expected to cover many lamr>s. An old' resident of the Hawarden district—he has been there for over 60 years —stated last evening that this is the latest season that has been known. Feed was never so backward at this period of the year, and had it not been for a rrood autumn and a mild winter stock would be in a very bad way indeed. At Hawarden last evening there were signs of the weather breaking. At Methven yesterday there were frequent falls of snow and heavy showers of sleet and rain accompanied by p bitterly cold wind. The snow soon melted, but conditions were very wintry. Losses among lambs are inevitable, but the damage has not yet been assessed. On the Plains lambing is well advanced and losses will not be heavy.