MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW. MARCH, 1910 412
NOTES.
Reports from Kansas state that farni ancl l>uilcling operations progressed uninterruptedly during the month. Early peaches,
pears, plums, and apricots were in blossom, and shacle trees
were leafing at the close of the month.
The Reclamation Record for April, 1910, reports the Kansas Garden City Project! (98 per cent complet*ed) : The work on
the Garden City Project during the month of March consisted
of overhauling the machinery in the power ])lant0 and l~ini11
houses and preparing it, for an inclefinite periotl of disuse. Mr. Charles F. Rudolph, of Rociado, N. Mes., states:  Un-
usually warm weather during the month nieltcil the snow in the
mountains and the streams were all running full, cliniinisliing
summer water supply. As a rule,
farmers sniudgecl their orchards, thereby saving sonie thou-
sands of dollars. Navi-
gation on the Arkansm River wan practically suspended aft csr
March 17 on account of low water.
Tulia, Tes., reports a hard freeze on the 31st.
In Arkansas the weather was ideal for outdoor work.
SMUDGE POTS FOR THE PREVENTION OF FROSTS, WICHITA, KANS.
By RICHARD H. RULI.I\-AN, Lorn1 Forersstrr.
The inclosed series of ohservat,ionn mere t.akrn for t,he benefit,
of inembers of the Setlgwick Count,y Horticidt.um1 Society aiid
others in connection with the front, warnings of March 30 mil
April 5 ancl test.s of Trout,man smudge pots in t.lirb 1-acrc orcharil
of Mr. Albert Iiunkel, in Wichita, on March 31 ant1 April ti, ant1
in a selected plat of t.he orchartl of thc T1ioma.s Orcharil Ccini-
pany, 3 miles west! of Wichit,a, on April 6. Thci readings for t.lic
I<unkel orchard on March 81 antl t,he Tl~omas orchard on April
6 were made by the-wriber, 3 iiiininiuiii and 5 esposed t.1ii.r-
mometers, 1 aneniomet,er, ani1 1 commercial tlirriiioniet.er IJciiig
used.
on Mr. I<unkels place 79 pobs t.o t.he acre wcrc used on Rhrc.11
31 and 70 pots t.0 thc acre 011 April 6; his fruit. is dill unh~irnicil.
In the Thonias orchard 50 p0t.s t,o t.he acre, or 500 pot,s in all,
were usecl among Jonat.hnn antl (;rimes golden apple trws.
Unfortunately, the temperatmure in t.lie Mter orchard coul(1 not
be kept above freezing aft.er 4 a. in. on account, of 1:ic.k of fut.1
oil. The small number of pots t.o the acre inatle it necessary
to run them at nearly full capacity, and in ordw t.0 carry t,hc
heat through t.0 sunrise the lighthg was c:lfhyetl unt.il 3 a. 111.
However, the managrr does not consider his loss as great as in
some orchards in the vieinitmy. The figures show that with from 70 t.0 SO 1Iot.s t,o t.hr acre a
fruit crop can he saved when thr t.enq~crature falls to 35, or
even to 32O, if the work is clone thoroughly antl syst,cniat,ically.
These are the first known practical t.cst.s of this i*haract,rr t,hat
have been made in this vicinit.y, and the whole proposition rrsfs
upon the question of how much expeiise for such insurancc t.he
investment can stand and st.ill reiitler a profit.
Where artificial methods of prevcndion of clainage werr not.
used during the freezes of March 31 antl April 6, esprcislly in
the lowlancls, there was general loss of apricots, 11eachrs. plums,
pears, and a very large proportion of apple buils, maliing t h third series of disastrous spring frost,s in 4 years. Last. year t,ho
whole fruit tree crop was killed l)y a single freeze cluring the
night of April 30-May 1, warning of which was given the thy
before, There is now a general disposition among local hort,iculturists
to aclopt the methocls of commercial fruit growers elsewhere
to prevent damage by frosts and freezes, and the belief is
steadily growing that the warnings of this service lnust Le
heeded if loss is to be avoided.
Comparative temperature, wind veIocity, and weat.her rea( l-
ings made by the writer in connection with test of central-draft
smudge pots for prevention of damage by frost or freezing in
the orchard of Albert Iiunkel, No. 734 South Washington
street, Wichita, Kans. Half-hourly observations were taken
froni midnightr of March 30-31 to 7:30 a. m., March 31. The
arrangement and height of the various instruments are indi-
cated 1)y the lettrrs in the diagram and the explanation here-
with. Thc sinuilge pots, 79 in number, were lighted between
5 :3 O and 5:15 a. in., March 31, and estinguishecl at! 7:30 a. m.
The tcmprraturrs at 6 a. m. in the accompanying table show the
effectiveness of such R met hoc1 during frosty periods. Fuel oil,
costing 4 cents per gallon, was u n d
Winiln-Nortli~~estc.rly to 330 a. in.; northerly to 630 a. in.;
iiorthcasterly to i :3 0 :E. 111.
I - 4
d-\\i.:tthrr 13urr:iu anrniomctr*r, 5 fret nl-iow ground.
rc-\Vr:i.t.iirr 13urr:iu mininiuni theri~ionicter No. 8753: 3 feet 8 inches above
[j-\Vc:it Iivr Burmu st:rnrl:ircl t.h(-rmonirter No. 4403, 4 fcct 9 inclies above
c,-\\c-:ttlier Hurenu at.:ind:irtl 1.liitrnionieter Nu. GSS, 4 fect 9 inchcs above
rl-\Vc:ither Uure:irl st:tnd:rrd thrriiionieter No. 4789, 4 feel. 9 inches above
e-\Vt*:it her Burc:tri iiiiniinuni t,lic:rniointst.er No. 9436, 3 fwt S inches above
J-\Vv:it.Iivr I3urcnu st:intl:ird theriiionic4cr No. 313.5, 4 fcct. 9 imhcs above
g-\leat her Bureau st.sndard tlicrinometcr No. 5G71,i feet 9 inches above
k--C!rJninicrci:il thcrniomcter, 1 foot. ahow ground.
i-Residence.
j-Grtcnhouscn.
1;-Barn.
grou n i I .
groiintl.
gri )i i i i t I .
groiintl.
grCJl I l l f 1.
ground.
ground.
MARCH, 1910. MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW.
1?:W niidiilght.. ...... 12::3118.111 ............. 1:W:t.ni .............
413
39.0 40.5 11.0 1R.5 40.n 39.5
30.5 38.5 38.0
Comparative temperature, wind velocity, and weather read-
ings made by the writer in connection with test of central-draft
smudge pots for prevention of damage by frost or freezing in the
orchard of the Thomas Orchard Company, 3 miles west of Wichit a.
The smudged portion of the orchard was a selected 10-acre plat
containing Jonathan and Grime's golden apples; the pots were
arranged 50 to the acre, or 500 in all. The instruments were
placed at a height of 6 feet, except 1 commercial thermomter,
which was located 1 foot above the ground near the center.
The thermometers are arranged in the table in the order of
reading. The pots were charged w7it.h 3 quarts of fuel oil, and
lighting was delayed until 2 a. 111. on account of lack of oil.
The 500 pots were lighted between 2 and 2:35 a. m., and ia-
sufficient oil to hold the fires at reasonable capacity resultetl
in inability to keep temperature above freezing after 4 a. in.,
and by daylight practically all of the oil had heen consumrd.
Winds-Northwesterly to -130 a. 111.; westerly after 430 a. in.
37.0
d6.0 35.5 3i.U
3!l. 0
36.0
36.0 35.0
TABLE 1.-Temperature, wealher, and wind mlacity.
[Letters in heading indicate position of tl~ermometera.]
30.11
35.5
34.0 36.0
3;. 0
35.5 35.11
33.U
-. ......
Clear. Clear. Clear. Clear. Clear. Clear. Clear. Clear. Clear. Clear. Clear. Clear.
0.3 0.3 0.4
0.5 0.3
0.3
0.2 0.2 0.3
0.4 U.5
0.5
...
f
.....
h
-
39.0 3s. 0
37.0
36.0 34.5
31. II
35. 0
35.0 31.0
36.0
38.0
40.0
3rl. n 31. 0
30. n
3s. n
-.
l a
Time. 0
.
40.5
30.5
31.5 37.5
36. II
35.5 37.0
3s. 0
33.0
3s. 0
3s. 0
39.0 40.5
37. n 36. n
33. n
- ........
I d /Niles. Clear. 0.2 Clear 0.2
Clear. 0.2
Clear. I 0.2
11.0 39.5 38.5
3s. u. 30.0
d7.5
3s. 5
37.0
36.5
31.0
33.0
38.0
37.5 38.0
10.5
35.5
* Lunrst t?nrp?r:rtur?s rwuralw!. 30.5" In*t\vi-l.il 5:011 :rnd 530 a. 111. 79 sinu~lge puts liyliterl. l>g-giiiriiitg :it 5::W 8. 111. and Ynding at 5:15 a.m.
Seconcl t.est, iiistle 1)y Mr. Albert Iiuiikel, No. 734 South
Num her of pots lighted, 70. Washingt.on St.ret.t., Richit,:t, Iians.
TABLI: 2.--l'cwrprolrtre a d ireather laue.
l!JlU.] lLet.terv in heading iiirlirnta. lurutinri uf t.herinonietera ns aliowu on diagram of March 31,
. -. ... -. ..
Timr. I a
1
h I e IWeather.
I o e i .i
...... - --
A
a
No. 4789
C
3/35
-
d
3:ilI) a. n i .. ............ .! CIrar.
:{::ill it. 111 .............. Clrxr.
4::311 :I. 1 1 1 .. ............ I Clear. ............ ...
Clear. Vlear. Clear. Clear. Clear.
S:IIII Y . 111 .............. ..... 5:Bu :1. I l l ..............
li:llll Y . 1 1 1 .. ............ li::<ll a. 111 ..............
i:IwIa.lIl .............
.. ..........
~
....... -
i o siiiudpc pots lightetl. beginning at 3.30 a.m.
TAn1.R 3.-Tcrrr~nwltirc, rc*cnllter, am1 i r i r i t l rdorily.
[h t t r r a in Iwsrling iidicste positiun of thermometers.] ... .- ...... ......... .- __ __ .......
Tiiw.
.. - ... -
-e
to. 4402.
ai.5 a1.o 1:ji.n a2.n
*:Ill. I 1 ! :Ill. I 1
XI.5 I 33.5
Clear. Clear. Clear. C.'lear. Clear. Clear. Clear.
l ?:I H I niialnlght. ...... 31.5
I:111 a. 111.. ........... 31. I t
?:IW u.111 ........... 311.11
3:IHI :L. 111.. .......... 33. 5
1:IHl :,. 111 ........... 32.5
::in1 :L 1 1 1 . .......... :I I .I I
1331111 :I. 111.. ........... 31.0
31.5 T2.n
:e. n :j I . s 311. I 1 :?a. 0
x5.n :~.n x2.0 32.5
31.5 311.5
BU.0 30.0
0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1
0.2
0. I
n. 1 f
Ah 4B8. h Yo. 56?/.
:?>.I1 ' 4'2.5
:11.5 41.0
311.0 YIJ. 0
i
29. n 59. u
31). I)
29.0 y. o A. 5
dhlitioricil rrport. April 50, 1910.
Further trials in the Thomas orchard on April 19, 2-1-25,
fully confirm the efficacy of the firing methocls above explained
in detail. The wind-velocity records show, as was to be ex-
pected, that the most tlamaging temperatures occur after the
wind has clierl tlown. Artificial preventive methocls can be
used effectively dcspite the oft-repeated arguments that it is
too windy in Kansas.
FIG. 3.
Lettrrs indirate corresponding instriiiiic~nts in tahlt-. Nunibers indic~tr United States \Vewt Iirr Bureau t herrncinietrrs.
d-Commercial therniometer. d --Aneinoniet er .