THE FROST AND THE FRUIT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 956, 25 October 1910, Page 8

THE FROST AND THE FRUIT.

MISFORTUNES OF HASTINGS. Tljo only .consolation . regarding the re-. * ■cent fruit destruction by frost' in Haiyke's. ißay is that such an occurrence may not . take;.placfe . again : for very many years. ■It seoms hopeless noiv to look'.'lor news. . saying that the trouble was not so : bad as it'was .at-.first estimated, to be. ... ■ ' : ;The x HastingS: "Standard" says :-:"During the'last day or two Mr. Boucher, the 1 •- ; (Government 'Fruit Expert, has been look- ; ; >}ing ,6ver the orchards in this district -iiwith the object of ascertaining the actual . ; etate of the fruit crops and giving advice' I? , t<i. the growers... Unfortunately his visits l'.. have only! served to . confirm: the reports, . S). already , published of the damage caused' i: ;iby|',the frost of: .Monday night. He'has, i • fciiid. that' practibally all the orchards' ;; the-plains have suffered so severely that'crdps are to,all 'intents and purposes , ViTuined.'and'the quantity t of fruit: likely to .• : mature is-notiapprecirible. On the Have-' i lock';hills, however, a few. orchards have . escaped; .v'; : •'. ■ ■■. ■"V ,".j; .."Mr; Boucher and' the. : other friiit- . growers visited the Erimley orchard.. At ::'• .nrsttglance the damage done did not ap- ■ . jpear, so: heavy, .as recently reported, but . ; iM'-tjie : party wandered from tree to tree in * a 50-' acre . orchard of peaches hopes: dwindled'down to zero.'To'all appearance the young fruit onthe trees looks; healthy .., ;'and <is 'attached to the;-,branches, * . ibut when pulled and. cut .open-iit ■ that the wJrk;of','the;frost has :heen. only j • • '-tgo well carried : out. Inrall'.the .orthardv ■ 'only.' two 6r three samples of soundifrmt :: / rwere found near, the shelter of'the' till •> V trees on the main road side. In the sake ground the, pear trees. have also suffered j ... severely, though the verdict in their pase .1 ; iis not/quite so hopeless, and the opinion . : .of .the expert,.ana growers was that, a • . , email, percenttge vthe ■ crop hadi'lr ■ .capedV' The orSnfe' and lemon -frees'ih&fcS> also been nipped, but the damage is their ..case is not serious. The currants Were •;; found slightly touched, while the gooseberries had suffered heavily. The apples '. ■ escaped, ,but in the same , orchard, plums I and walnuts are ruined beyond hope." j