THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXXI, Issue 10258, 29 January 1894, Page 5

THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS.

[Per Press Association.! WELLINGTON, Jan. 27. A vary heavy thunderstorm passed over tho city between six and seven o’clock this morning. Rain fell in torrents, but it soon cleared off. INVERCARGILL, Jan. 28. The weather has become unseasonable; heavy rain and hail showers, and a great fall in the temperature.

During the afternoon of Saturday heavy thunder showers occurred'in parts of Canterbury, and at about one o’clock yesterday morning an extremely heavy rain storm passed over Christchurch, doing considerable damage to fruit gardens, and washing a large hole in tha newly-formed portion of thu road on the North-east Belt. The weather moderated at daybreak, and a strong north-east wind blew,'which, however coon veered round to the north-west. In the afternoon the wind changed to the south-west and brought rain, which continued at intervals throughout the night. Considerable damage will bo done to the crops by the wet, ao a very large quantity is in stock at tha present time, while the neavy rain will have the effect of laying much that is not cut. Our Eangicra correspondent writaa : The?:o was an improvement in the weather on Saturday morning in the northern district, and hopes were entertained that something like a permanent change for the bettor had set in. At 1 p.m., however, a thunderstorm gathered over the hills, and passed over the district, accompanied by heavy rain, which lasted for about an hour, the storm being at its worst over the Moeraki Downs. Yesterday was bright and warm, with a stiff breeze from tha north-west, which was immensely beneficial to the grain in stock, while nob strong enough to do any harm to the standing corn. The weather in the Ashburton district on Saturday was dull and threatening, but little or no rain fell, and harvest work was pushed on with all possible speed. Most of the grain in the district is now ripe, a great deal of it cut, and very little stacked, bo that fine weather is of great consequence. Our Ashburton correspondent has been shown some very ioug samples of oats in the straw, grown in. that district. Mr Stephen Chapman, of Willawhy, had some measuring seven feet, and Hr V. Holmes, of the Hindi*,, some eight feet long. Our Little Elver correspondent writes: The dull, showery weather which prevailed here during the past week has much retarded the work of threshing the cocksfoot, »<kl fears are enfcerlaiaod that most of the early seed will bu discoloured. Some of the crops r.ro very inferior, large patches being shunned by the reapers on account of the luxuriant growth of Yorkshire Fog. Harvesters are plentiful, and tha reaping will bo completed in the course of a few days. _