A BAD TIME

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21924, 19 January 1946, Page 4

A BAD TIME

LACK OF RAIN . ORCHARDS & GARDENS HAVOC. TO CROPS The continued dry weather is playing havoc with orchards and gardens in" the district, and unless rain comes soon those associated with the industry have fears as to what the ultimate result may be. Apart from the lateness of the season, which is to date the most noticeable result of the unusually protracted period with very little rain, there is a very grave possibility that unless rain comes in the very near future the yield will be far below the average. „ Fruit trees in the district set well this season and early on it appeared that a better than usual harvest would be the reward, but as week after week passed and the moisture in the ground was slowly absorbed and nothing came to replace it, the picture did not look so rosy. The fruit in most cases have now reached a state of near ripeness, but unless rain comes soon to increase their size the yield will be far below what has become to be accepted as average for here. No Eslief Imminent

.There seems to be no immediate sign of the drought breaking, and it is this fact which is causing the main worry to growers. However, they are also perturbed as to what will be the effect if rain does come. As likely as not, one grower stated, speaking from past experience, when the rain does come it will not be just a light shower but a solid downpour, which will be particularly disastrous to the near-mature crop. This is definitely so with the soft flesh fruits like peaches, apricots and pears. Those grapevines which were fortunate enough to escape the bite of the late frost in October are also badly affected The berry crops have definitely “had it,” while the currant yield has been a failure. Market gardeners are in a bad way as their water for vegtable sustenance lias almost entirely been depleted. This has been an unsuccessful season' for celery growers. In some cases the plantings have been kept alive by watering, but that has not proved over satisfactory. Peas planted for autumn cropping are making no headway, and even if rain does come it is doubtful if it will do them much good. Outdoor tomatoes are just maturing now after a very slow season, but the quantity will not be up to scale. At the moment they are being sun-baked, but when the rain does come, if there are still tomatoes about by that, time, they will be split by the effects of the moisture and the heat.