ANOTHER FROST

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 5, 29 September 1937, Page 4

ANOTHER FROST

Orchardists Spend an Anxious Night VARYING TEMPERATORES For th© second time this week fruitgrowers in and around Hastings spent a night in their orchards tending fires to combat the mOnace of frost. Thousands of, little firepots, as Well as gcores of larger fires were lit, and thougih the frost was an exceptiofially heavy one, orchardists report that they have made excellent "saves." However, in orchards where no fires were lit havoc has been created among plums, nectarines and early varieties of peaches, The official recording at Cornwall Park was a frost of. 13 degrees on the. grass, and though orchardists report very low temperatures, their readiugs vary considerqbly according to the height of the thermometer from the ground. Their recordings, however, doreveal that the frost was one of unustial length and quite the most severe recorded for some time, almost rivalling that of the disastrous frost of last October. Many orchardists were out in thair orchards from 11 o'clock until daybreak. The temperatUre hung fire until shortly after midnightj then. within half an hour, there was a sudden drop of two degtees. At one orchard the recordings Wete as fbllow :— Midnighfc 30 degrees; 12.45 a.m. 28 degreea; 2.30 a.m., 27 degiees; 4 a.m. 26 degrees; 5.10 a.m., 24i degrees. This clearly indicates that fires . 4 to be kept alight for a long period , and iii many cases it was necessary to' replenish the fuel in the fire-pots. Unlike the frost experienced on Siittday night, last night's visitation was more Widesptead and was iiOted in the Twyford and Pakowhai distficts. Except ia the most exposed areas in these districts, however, the damage would be very slight to stone 'fruit, and amount merely to a thinning out. To the east of Hastings, howeVer, orchatds iu which iio fires were lit were severely hit by the frost, but there were very few orchardists wlio did not take tho necessary precautions. One grower at Twyford reported the frost as "pretty bad." A fair amount of damage had been done to eariy plunis and peaches, h© said. The full «rop, of course, had not been taken, but quite a percehtage would be affected. As for groUnd crops, a large perpentage of potatoes had been blackened, but pumpkins and other gtound crops were not yet sufficiently advanced to suffer any kreat degree of damage. Nor had apples heen affected very much. He said he would estimate the frost at abbut eight degrees. Main Areas Affected. The main areas affected by the frost are Riverslea, along the 'Huvelock-Na-pier road, thfe wat.ershed of the old Ngaruroro riverbed, and towards the south of Hastings. "Most of tfie growers had arranged for the heating oi their orchards, and those who did light thq fires last evening. may congratulate theniselves upon effecting) excellent saves," said Mr N. J. Adamsoia, Government Orchard Instructor, tlili morning, when reviewing the position. "Those orchardists who did not light. fires must ihevitably have siifferfcd heavy /losSes, but aB far as l can sfccertain at present very few orchardists failed to light fires." Mr Adamson said that by one n'cloclc this morning the temperatures had dropped to below the danger point for stone fruits. Prior to this there had been a fluctuation in temperatures cwing to oocasional very light breezes, but by 1 o'clock the indications pointcd definitely to a long freeze. "Aud u long fiee2e it was, too, ' said Mf Adiiroseii "It was necessary to keep tbb burrcrs going iight up till sun.ius," Ihe greater portion of ths stonetro.'b growers, said Mr Adarh&on l#d lca'iit the lesson taught bv tlit Ortober visitation of last year and l»ad airangied for the necessary equipment for "firing" the orchards. This morning orchardists were btiiy replenishing their supplies of oil for further burnings, many of the growers anticipating having to spend another night in their. orchards. There has also been a big rush on fire-pots, and the greatest difficulty is being experienced in aecommodating the orders. In fact, it will not be possible to meet even the major portion of orders for a week or so until further oonsignments arrive.

Last night growera made full use of anything that would hold oil for burning, and distributed these containers around the trees. Biscuit and sweet tins Were in big demand, while in many instances housewives had to empty out household commodities into paper bags to provide tins for the oilburning operations.