DAMAGE BY FROST

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18255, 25 November 1933, Page 15

DAMAGE BY FROST

MANY AREAS AFFECTED HEAVY LOSS TO growers Extensive damage to orchard and ground crops in several parts ol the Hastings district was caused by dost mi Thursday morning, and although some areas escaped with little harm, in other localities the losses are very considerable. Ground crops such as _ potatoes and tomatoes suffered heavily, ami one grower reports that be lias bad RUAA> tomato plants destroyed. Another lost SCOO, and in yet another instance a grower lost two acres of plants. Beans, pumpkins and melons suffered also, and potato crops in exposed localities were almost completely ruined. Some fruit crops suffered severely, one grower losing two acres of Stunner apples on the low-lying, part of Ins property. Ten acres of pumpkin crops "ere severely affected in various areas. It- is impossible to estimate the total amount of the damage. The frost seems to have taken nearly every grower unawares. DESTRUCTION IN FEILDING Gardens in Feilding were again devastated on Thursday morning by a hard frost which followed' on a southerly change in the weather. In practically every case, the growth affected was second planting, the first planting having been destroyed in the heavy frost last, month. Beans, tomatoes, pumpkins and other crops suffered heavily, but the damage to potatoes does not appear to have been as severe as in October. MASTER'D.) N TOMATO GROWERS Considerable damage was done to tomato and potato crops by a frost, of 10.8 degrees at Masterton. Those growing tomatoes for commercial purposes will be heavy losers, as many large crops have been almost entirely ruined. It is reported that one grower lost about 8000 plants, while others are said to have lost crops ranging from 2000 plants to 7000. Large crops of potatoes and beans also suffered severely. A message from Greytown states that considerable damage to potatoes and tomato crops in that district has occurred. CANTERBURY AREA Vegetable growers in the Marsh hind. Oboka, Kaiapoi and Rangiora districts suffered severely from frost on Wednesday night, acres of young potatoes, beans, tomatoes, marrows, pumpkins and strawberries being damaged. In ( hristehurch, the frost was not severe, although some damage was done in private gardens. To tlie south, the sheltered valleys of Heathcote, Horotane and Bowenvale were almost unscathed. In the fruit and vegetable growing districts to the north, the loss will be severe and many acres of vegetables will have to be replanted. As far as is known fruit trees escaped damage. Tn the Kaiapoi district and further north toward Woodend and Waikuku, some hundreds of acres of potatoes were badly bitten by a frost.

A great deal of damage was caused at Wairnate on the previous morning, when a frost of seven degrees almost entirely destroyed strawberry crops and vegetables