MORE WINDS IN HAWKE’S BAY

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 93, 13 January 1939, Page 5

MORE WINDS IN HAWKE’S BAY

Damage To Fruit And

Other Crops

PALL OF DUST OVER ESK VALLEY

Soil Swept From Pastures

And Hillsides

Dominion Special Service.

HASTINGS, January 12.

The almost continuous succession of strong west and north-west winds which lias been experienced in Hawkes Bitj this summer showed no sign of abating to-day. A strong west wind blew throughout the night, but cased during Hie dk.L ' l *‘ about three o’clock this af^ r " noon there was almost a fiat calm, lhe respite was very brief, however, and a few minutes later tiie wind shitted to tiie north-west and blew harder than ever. . , “This is one of the windiest years In Hawke’s Bay I can remember,” said Mr. J. H. Milne, president of the Hawke’s Bay Fruit-growers’ Association this evening. "There is certain to be considerable damage not only to but to grass seed and other crops. Other orchardists said they had suffered a loss because of the winds whicH in the aggregate would be consderable. Au orchai'dist in Pakowhai said he had picked up 20 cases of Gravenstein apples this afternoon from under 30 trees; he would be lucky if 10 of these were marketable. AU fruit which was nearing maturity was suffering and there had. been some serious losses of William Bon-Cretien pears. Any trees in exposed positions were being well thrashed and in some cases trees ha'd been damaged. Pall of Dust. Over the Esk'Valley today dust raised from the silt-covered lands hung like a great pall of fog which extended far out to sea. Settlers are undergoing a heartbreaking experience, and with the increase of the wind late in the afternoon conditions became almost unbearable. Paddocks which a few weeks ago had a good growth of grass now resemble a desert. In some cases three to four feet of silt covering lias been blown away, leaving paddocks ri'dgy and hummocky like miniature sand dunes. AU growth, of course, has disappeared. Wind damage is not confined to the silt-covered flats. Hillsides which were scarred by slips during the April floods are now losing enormous quantities of soil, which in some places has beenjflown away to the bare rock. This is one of the most serious results of the high winds because when the autumn rains come there is bound to be further slipping in places where the soil has now gone. Pastures and newly-ploughed paddocks in the Kaiwaka South area are also suffering. the wind whipping away enormous quantities of exposed soil. Many farmers have lost the whole of their rape crops, which, with the dry conditions now being experienced, will mean a serious loss of feed for lambs. Traffic Held Up. 1 * Several laden sheep lorries as well as private cars were field up at a temporary bridge over the Waipunga Stream last evening because of the accumulation of sand drifts at. the bridge approaches. Several were delayed'"for more than two hours before they could be dug out. Driving conditions today were again very bad and even with the assistance of headlights visibility at times was only a few yards. Conditions were also very bad along the section of the Napier-Wairoa road which crosses the mouth of the valley, and drivers were frequently compelled to stop because of inability to see the roa <l.

The succession of winds is also becoming serious for the pastoralists, ns grassland and hill country are rapidly drying up.