Wairarapa Lost Heavily In Frost

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30274, 29 October 1963, Page 16

Wairarapa Lost Heavily In Frost

(New Zealand Pre st Association) MASTERTON, October 28. Greytown, the main fruit growing area for the Wairarapa and one of the main vegetable producing areas, lost at least 50 per cent of all crops in last Saturday’s heavy frost, when the reading in that area varied between eight to 12 degrees of frost.

Mr T. H Warburton, of Greytown, president of the New Zealand Vegetable Growers' Federation, said today the frost was “phenomenal. It was by far the worst in living memory." In a survey taken at the week-end, Messrs Warburton and H. C. Edwards found that all tomato, potato, runner beans, and pumpkin plants had been completely wiped out

Although there is still time to sow seeds of pumpkins and beans, tomato plants will be in abort supply and all vegetables will be late.

Tre survey showed that in small fruit*, gooseberries bad suffered a 90 per cent loss Greytown supplies about 75 per cent of all New Zealand, and the loss will be felt throughout the country. Early variety raspberries show a 90 per cent loss, black currants show about 75 per cent lorn, and first crop strawberries are almost a total loss. In Martinborough, where the frost was about eight degrees, 20 per cent of strawberries were lost. Mr C. Morgan, of Greytown, said the loss of pip fruit was bard to assess at the moment although Granny Smith apples were almost a complete loss, half the Sturmers were gone, pears were a 50 per cent loss, and plums were “very badly bit" Mr Morgan said that in his 46 years on the one property, he had not seen damage like it before. The pip fruit crop in Greytown i* normally worth £BO.OOO to £lOO,OOO a year. The loss to Greytown was expected to be at least £50,000 to £6OXIOO, Mr Edwards said “There will probably be no small fruits for other areas.” be said. "This will also affect seasonal worker* who come to Greytown each year,” Mr Edwards said. Mr Warburton said most small fruit growers were out

all Friday night keeping irrigated water going in an endeavour to beat the frost.

“At least one grower found the water freezing in the pipes even though the water was flowing,” he said.

Mr Warburton said It was considered to be an unusual type of frost that came from the upper air and in his case his 50 feet high walnut tree had leaves and flowers burned from the top.