SUMMER OR WINTER? UNSEASONABLE WEATHER.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue 13, 16 January 1909, Page 5

SUMMER OR WINTER? UNSEASONABLE WEATHER.

HARVESTING STOPPED. (By Telegbaph.— Special to The Post.] GREYTOWN, This Day. Cold wet weather here is spoiling the crops and fruit. The thermometer at noon yesterday showed 52.9, and to-day it recorded 48. HarvestinE; has been completely stopped. MASTERTON, This Day. Cold southerly rain is falling, accompanied by a high wind. Ripe oat crops have been badly stripped during the past two days. UNEASINESS IN THE SOUTH. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. A heavy southerly gale blew all last night, with incessant rain, and the weather generally is causing the farmers uneasiness. Not only the harvest, which should be in full swing, has been delayed, but serious damage is threatened the crops standing and in stook. The rain of December was ample for requirements of tho grain crop, but rain has fallen almost every day since the New Year, and the grain in stook, especially barley, has already suffered. Samples of early oats and grass seed on offer show that they have suffered from unfavourable climatic conditions, and reports from all districts speak of grain laid by the continuous wind and rain. This will add to the labour of harvesting, reduce the returns, and deteriorate the quality. Farmers want about six weeks' summer weather to save the crop, and if the present conditions continue any length of time, the great bulk of the grain will be only of secondary quality. Sheep and lambs fattening for market also feel the effects of the continuous rain, and pastoralists complain as well as grain farmers. Should a change for the better come now an unusually large number of sheep will be available this season for export. SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS, [Bt TELEGRAPH- -TKE33 \SSOCIATION.] MASTERTON, This Day. It is very unusual at this time of the year to have to record a fairly heavy fall of snuw on the Tararua Ranges. This occurred during last nigkt, the hills having a white mantle fully half way down CARTERTON, This Day. The weather here is wet. The temperature has fallen very low, and there is snow on tho mountains. SHIPPING DELAYED. ROUGH TRIP OF THE MAORI. LYTTELTON, This Day. A heavy southerly gale on the coast has caused considerable delay among coastal steamers. The ferry steamer Maori took fourteen hours to come from Wellington to Lyttelton, and consequently missed the first express South. She had a very rough trip. The Wimmera, from Wellington, has not yet put in an appearance. As s,he passed Kaikoura at 9.15, she is not expected till late this afternoon. The Cygnet broke hex record from Kaikoura tc Lyttelton, taking twenty-one hours, eleveh of which were consumed in making the last thirty miles. The Talune, from Dunedin, arrived safely, coming along well through 'the heavy following sea.