FROST AT HASTINGS

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10122, 19 October 1910, Page 5

FROST AT HASTINGS

PEACH CROP WIPED OUT,

ENORMOUS DAMAGE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Last Night. The Auckland Star's correspondent at Hastings, telegraphs that there was nine degrees of frost there last night, which swept the peach crop completely out of existence. In Hastings alone the ripe peach crop is worth £IO,OOO, every penny of which has vanished as completely as if a fire had swept the dhtrict. On the great Karapo orchard, where stone fruits are grown almost exclusively, the crop would have been worth £3OOO. The manager remarked this morning that he would give £5 for every case of peaches likely to ripen there. Plums in the district, usually | worth about £3OOO, are probably mostly destroyed. \ The usual preventive methods of warding off frost by .smoking fires were carried on all night, but were utterly futile. The misfortune will give the district a serious set-back. HASTINGS, Last Night. The frost last night played havoc with the fruit crops. Practically the whole peach, plum, pear, and early apple crops have been destroyed. The manager of the Karapo orchards estimates his loss at 300,000 cases, valued at £4OOO. All orchards on tie Heretaunga Plains have been affected. 'I he> Fruitgrowers' Conference, on assembling this morning, passed a vote of sympathy with the Hawke's Ray fruitgrowers in the serious loss sustained by them. The , damage is estimated at £IO,OOO.

HEAVIEST FROST FOR TWENTYTWO YEARS. Later. The early reports of the damage to the fruit, crops by last night's unprecedented frost are in no way exaggerated, and the authorities now estimate it at no less than £20,000. The famous Frimley and Karapo orchards will be practically fiuitless this year, and the loss -there alone is estimated at £IO,OOO. Mr Thomas Horton estimates his nursery loss at £4OOO. It is twenty-two years since a3 severe a fro3t was experienced here at this season of the year. The orchards on the Havelock Hills are not seriously affected, although jo.-ne on the lower slopes suffered severely.

FURTHER DETAILS. FRUIT CROP ABSOLUTELY RUINED. LOSS ESTIMATED AI £20,Q00. (By Telegraph—Special to Age.) HASTINGS, Last Night, A severe frost en Monday night played havoc with the orchards in Hawke's Bay. The fruit crop, or the great bulk of it, at any rate, is absolutely ruined, and the loss is estimated at £20,000, although there is no doubt that the actual loss to all concerned is very much greater. The disastrous visitation will lead to a considerable amount of unemployment and depression in certain quarters. • Various nurserymen have lost very heavily, Mr Horton's loss being estimated at £4OOO. i This season's crop of the famous Frimley .orchards is ruined. "Seventy miles of trees, and not two cases in the lot," Vf as how one of the company's officials phrased it. Very large orders have been placed for ca;es, and as the cases will hot now be required, further loss in this direction will be experienced. Another frost appears to be setting in to-night. After the experience of last night, it would seem that fruitgrowers in this district will have to adopt the methods employed by American orhardists to fight frosts, and in this connection the Government should render reasonable assistance.