NELSON SUFFERS FROST

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1934, Page 5

NELSON SUFFERS FROST

TOBACCO CROPS DAMAGED. EXTENSIVE DAMAGE DONE. ' Last week the Nelson district sweltered under high temperatures of over 80deg. in the shade during the day, with corresponding warm nights. However, at the week-end a sudden ’change to wintry conditions took place, resulting in a fairly general frost, on Monday night, which did considerable damage to tobacco and other tender crops-through-out the district. The extent of the damage cannot be estimated from reports received, but it is considered th^t. a third of the total crop has been ruined. At Wai-iti a number of valuable tobacco crops were practically wiped out. One farmer had five acres of beans and two acres of tobacco ruined. At places in Pigeon Valley the frost W very severe, resulting in loss in tobacco crops. Wakefield was affected to a lesser extent. Although the frost was experienced in Dovedale, it is reported not to be!of a disastrous nature, but it is. understood that the tobacco crops in Win’s Valley were completely wiped out. Other reports state that the Tapawera and Ngatimoti areas suffered considerably. ■ Many growers of tobacco at Riwaka are reported to have sustained heavy loss as a result of the frost. In some cases farmers found up to half their plantations blackened in the morning. Serious as it is for individual growers, fortunately the frost was patchy, otherwise all the more forward crops would have been ruined. In the words of one grower, large sections of the more matured crops were in a “terrible mess.” The more advanced crops were the ones chiefly affected, the younger plants standing the frost much better. One,prominent grower estimated that about onethird of the Riwaka crops were affected. -7 In Nelson the Cawthron Institute recorded a minimum temperature on Monday night of 34deg., but in the outlying areas of the city a light frost was ex- ■ perienced. The ground in upper Brook Street was white in the morning, and frosts were also experienced in Tpi-Toi Valley, Waimea Road, and at Wakapuaka. However, no extensive damage has been reported from these areas. The Government Research Orchard recorded 3.6 deg. of frost, but it is considered that the fruit crops are now too far advanced to be affected.