WAIRARAPA DISTRICT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19807, 30 November 1927, Page 12

WAIRARAPA DISTRICT.

SOME LOSSES OF STOCK. DESTRUCTION IN ORCHARDS. SEVERE DAMAGE AT GREYTOWN. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.J MASTERTON. Tuesday. The Wairapara district was visited yesterday by tho most severe rain and windstorm for twelve months, but tho damage is not nearly as serious as was at first feared. v Two inches of rain fell during tho 24 hours ended nine o'clock tiiis morning, and wind of hurricane force blew almost throughout the wholo day and night. Except for a few minor washouts which in no way impeded traffic no damage was done to the roads or bridges. It was reported this morning that stock losses, principally among shorn sheep and lambs, were considerable, but exhaustive inquiries have failed to substantiate those reports. The weather has been so uncertain over the past few weeks that shearing operations throughout the district have been very spasmodic, and it is only on flat country that slight losses have occurred. Ir most cases only one day's shearing was done since last Thursday and sheepfarmers generally were able to keep the sheep shorn ou that day in tho sheds. Those farming on hilly country were more fortunate, as ample shelter could bo obtained by herding the sheep and lambs on the lee side of the hills. A few losses have been verified, but tho total is surprisingly small when tho severity of tho storm is taken into account. Tho "eather will have tho effect of putting the lambs back, but if a. warm spell follows, and this seemed probable from mid-day to-day, they will quickly pick up. Tho greatest damage seems to have been sustained by the small fruit farmers and the town dwellers. Hoardings, fences and any structures of a temporary nature received a severe buffeting and were in many cases demolished. The small fruit farmers in Grey town aro severe losers. Mr. W. A. Tate, ono of the largest growers, had a ton of cherries ready for picking destroyed. His loss is estimated at between £l5O and £2OO. Gooseberry, raspberry and currant grow ers also suffered loss, but to a smaller extent than Mr. Tate. Tho majority of Greytown's fruit is sold on the Auckland market. A later report indicates that settlers in the Taueru Valley, nine miles east of Masterton on tho East Coast Road, lost a number of shorn sheep, tho aggregate being about 100