THE WEATHER IN CANTERBURY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 34, 9 February 1905, Page 3

THE WEATHER IN CANTERBURY.

CROPS SUFFER SEVERELY. (By Telegraph.— Q-nro Correspondent.) CHRISTCMUB.CH, this day. Farmers who were in town yesterday gave very gloomy reports of the condition of the crops in many parts of Canterbury, and some say that the recent weather, rain alternating with heat, has had a disastrous effect. It is supposed that the grass seed crops have suffered very badly in certain districts, and from almost all parts there are accounts of more or less damage done to wheat and oats. There was an exceptionally heavy downpour of ram in North Canterbury during Tuesday night, over 1* inches being registered at Rangiora between midnight and 7 ajn. on Thursday. The heavy crops, nearly the whole of which are still uncut. suffered a. good deal of damage by being laid. Fortunately there was no wind to twist and break the straw, and some of the grain will rise again in simny weather , . The "Star's" Asbburton correspondent wires that the weather during the past few days has been warm and showery. Should it eontkme so it must have a bad effect on the cut cats, of which a large quantity is already in stook. Although the greater portion of the wheat crop is ready for cutting, very little is in stook, so that no damage is feared to crops of this description. It is understood that the grass seed crops in stook in the hills districts have suffered to some extent. At Chertsey the cut rye grass and oats I have commenced to sprout, sheaves of i the former having to be unbound. The present weather prevents farmers getting their grass seed and early-cut oa±s into stack in many parts of South Canterbury. Rain fell all day on Tuesday, and for some time very heavily. The heavy showers weie accompanied by high wind, and some damage was done to the heavy crops, bat serious coasequences are not anticipated.