FRUIT RUINED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21937, 22 October 1934, Page 11

FRUIT RUINED

FROST STRIKES ORCHARDS AREA IN CENTRAL OTAGO APRICOT TREES AFFLICTED [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] DUNEDIN, Sunday The Earnscleugh district of Central Otago was visited again last night by a heavy frost, as a result of which a good deal of the present fruit crop has been ruined. At 10 p.m last night the temperature at Karnseleugh was 40 degrees and by two o'clock this morning it had dropped to 30 degrees. Those who liad fire-pots available started them up, and they were running continuously until 6 a.m., by which time the worst of the frost was over. Where fire-pots were in use in sufficient numbers a total save was effected, but any unprotected fruit was ruined. Mr. J. H. Hinton said that in an orchard adjoining that of his son, where the owner had not enough fire-pots for the whole of his area, the frost killed the fruit on the entire plot of apricot trees. The fruit this morning resembled bunches of dried raisins. In the orchard of Mr. Hinton, jun., which was fully equipped with fire-pots, all the fruit was saved. It is exactly a year ago this weekend that the last disastrous frost occurred in Central Otago. On that occasion many orchardists were severely affected, and the financial loss suffered then 16ft them without resources to equip their orchards with frost-fighting appliances. Mr. Hinton said that in his opinion the present visitation would spell ruin for a good many settlers. ''Fruitgrowing in the Alaxandra district appears to be doomed unless fire-pots are made available in sufficient numbers to render all orchards safe," he said. It is not known whether the frost was confined to the Earnscleugh district or otherwise, but as snow fell further up country last week it is more than probflUe that other fruit-growing districts also have been affected.