ASHBURTON.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17037, 10 May 1923, Page 6

ASHBURTON.

NO LOSS OF STOCK, (Special to the “ Star."’) ASHBURTON, May 9. The Ashburton Dairy Factory Company has had its cream collection system disorganised by the inundated state of the roads in various parts of the county, particularly in the Willowby and Eiftelton districts. A'e3terdav the motor-lorry co-uld proceed no further than the junction of the AYil-lowby-Longbeach road, where there is J dip or gully. Jn this was water three to four feet deep. When working the Wakanui district progress ceased in tfip vicinity of the blacksmith shop, while it was utterly impossible to get along Riverside. The regular trip into -he Elgin district had to be abandoned. •ii attempting to get through a gully adjacent to tlie old brick kiln at Eiffeltor on Monday the lorry stuck in water live feet deep. The top of a cylinder vac blown off, and the vehicle had to be towed out and back to Ashburton. The difficulty in maintaining the service has been due to the fact that in certain of the districts there are gullies oi dips running across the road wayand these during the past two days, have Fortunately the cream uncollected will keep owing to ihe coldness of the •v©ather. It is c-onsUtorei! that the cold ain will have the effect of lessening the milk supply, as under such conditionhe- cons go off quickly at this period of che season. It is reported that the house belonging to Mr P. AVheartv. of AYillowbv, i< u.rrounded and it is impossible to get o or from it. GRAIN AND CROPS DAMAGED. There has been some damage to grain sacks and to sheaves in stuck, and to potato crops, but, as one man put it. .lie farmers generally ar© not ‘‘very •\cited about it.'’ The Ashburton c.unty has fared much better than North Canterbury. Most of the damage to grain has been sustained by that in the paddocks awaiting delivery. In many parts the water got right round lit- bags, while verr few of the stacks a.s that experienced. A let liven district, perhaps, suffered most. It is considered that the potato crops in th© county .' il! be damaged to a certain extent. NO LOSS or-' STOCK. No loss ol stock has been reported, nd considering what has happened els© where, the Ashburton County has hem, particularly fortunate, not only in this nit iu all respects. Some think, however. that the . far-back country might have suffered a little. Although a fairly large entry of all classes of stock bad been advertised for the Ashburton sale yesterday, only fifty head put in in appearance. This was not to be wondered at. for the state o 1 the roads ipd the paddocks makes il most difficult (oi farmers and others to deal with ►heir florks. Th-3 number of sheep halt with at the freezing works was •v.nsiderabliv decreased for t'-ve shttmS ■f3«on. while co-dav there was no killing done. DAMAGE TO ROADS. The road boards in the Ashburton County will be faced with a lot- of work and probably much expenditure in restoring the roads to good repair. From sverv point reports are received of damage. Along the Methven road especially conditions are bad, and in several places the metal has been scoured out, leaving a surface of clay. Car drivers state that the roads have to he traversed before one can fully apprecite Lin- bad effects of the storm. The mouth of the Mount Somers coalmine is reported to have fallen in, but the damage is not extensive. No one was injured or entombed.