ANOTHER SEVERE FROST

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 46, 18 November 1929, Page 11

ANOTHER SEVERE FROST

CHRISTCHURCH GARDENS DAMAGED ■SNOW ON THE HILLS Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, November 16. Orchards and gardens in and around Christchurch were severely damaged early this morning as the result of a frost of 10.4 degrees. This is the heaviest frost in November since 1918, when 12.4 degrees were recorded. Several orchardists stated that this morning’s frost had destroyed the fruit that had survived the disastrous visitation on October 24. Damage to crops is also reported from some districts as the re- 1 suit of heavy rain following the sudden change in the weather yesterday. A Papanui orchardist stated this morning that his stone fruit crops had suffered severely. He had been badly hit on October 24, and last night’s frost had made a clean sweep. Another Papanui fruitgrower said that after last month’s frost there was nothing left to damage. A well-known St. Martin’s grower, whose property is sheltered under the hills, advised that he had escaped the damage, but tomato, potato and other vegetable crops on the flat had been ruined in some cases. Fortunately, he said, only a little rain fell in St. Martin’s, otherwise the damage would have been severe. It was getting too late to replant, and those who wished to do so were having great difficulty in procuring plants owing to the great demand after the heavy frost last month. A good deal of damage was caused in private,gardens, tomatoes, peas, beans, potatoes, and marrows all being badly nipped. A Series of Frosts. There have been several other frosts this month, all of them capable of doing damage. On November I there were 6.2 degrees, November 2 4.8 degrees, on November 9 6.3 degrees, and on November 10 5.8 degrees. In North Canterbury the frost this morning did considerable damage. The potatoes, which were recovering from the heavy frost late last month, and those that had made their appearance above the ground since were badly wilted, and tomatoes, French beans, and marrows were cut to the ground. Rain fell in the northern districts last evening, but it was hardly sufficient to lay the dust. The rainfall on Thursday night did not reach beyond the Waimakariri River. Mount Herbert and the ranges running back towards Port Levy were well coated with snow this morning, a most unusual thing at this time of the year. Before noon to-day, however, the snow had disappeared from Mount Herbert.