FROST DAMAGE TO OTAGO FRUIT CROPS

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 September 1947, Page 3

FROST DAMAGE TO OTAGO FRUIT CROPS

(P.A.) DUNEDIN, September 26. A severe frost on Thursday night, and an acute shortage of fuel oil for frost fighting, have dashed the hopes of Central Otago and Teviot orchardists that the new season’s crops would be unusually heavy. Fire pots were burning for as long as 10 hours in the Alexandra and Earnscleugh districts on Thursday night to combat a ground frost of 12.5 degrees. In most cases where pots were lit crops were saved, but the frosts throughout the fruitgrowing areas must have resulted in substantial losses to unprotected orchards and backyard crops. 1 . The most alarming aspect of the cold snap is that many growers in the Central Otago district used all their available fuel oil in Thursday night’s “burn,” and are experiencing great difficulty in replenishing their stocks. Oil company officials said today that an acute shortage of heavy fuel oil exists throughout New Zealand at the present time, and will continue for about two weeks, when overseas supplies are expected. The only reason for the shortage is the late arrival of overseas supplies. As a result of the use of fire pots, a heavy pall of black smoke hungj over Alexandra early this morning, and in houses in the bla f. lc " areas lights had to be used until after 8 a.m. Those householders who had their windows open found their rooms coated with oil smudges.