FROST AT CHRISTMAS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1919, Page 5

FROST AT CHRISTMAS.

DAMAGE IN MARLBOROUGH.

| Christmas Day in Marlborough was marked by a striking weather vagary—• } a frost of the strength of 61deg. When day broke, the whole countryside was covered with a white mantle strangely I foreign to a stage of thu season closely approaching the height of summer, find the temperature was deiidedly su3Ti> The hot sun suon melted th* winter-like covering, but as it did so a great amount of damage was done to tender growth. Potatoes withered, peas wilted, and beans, tomatoes, and young walnuts were blackened Th«s unusual visitation has caused a material amount of ioss to the agricultural industry, to say nothing of tlie ga'dens. 11. played havoc with the i'ielas o{ potatoes, which present a shrivelled appearance all over the district; and it wilted th» pet badly, not only catehinp thin young.' pods, hut aho the advanced growth Some crops of: potatoes and peas were converted in a night frbm highly proitwble propositions, into almost hopeless failures-

A definite estimate of tiie nmoant of loss in the aggregate is not ptacticanle, but it is certain that the frost has robbed growers of several thousands, of pounds. The wheat crops have suffered, to a considerable extent, it is recalled that a frost was experienced on tlin Christmas Day of 1902, and one occurred early in January a few years ago. Ie is doubtful, however, If there ever occurrrcd in the district a frost that was responsible for much damage as was done by last week's visitor,