Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1884-10-23
PREVENTING FROST.

How far can the fruit grower and GARDEN
er prevent frost? 1t is one of the most de-
structive foes. Early fruits and vegetables
are always the most profitable; but frost op-
poses these, and not intrequenty destroys
the entire crop of fruit buds. or even the
trees and vines. Here, in the west the Or
chardlst must contend continuously against
lFost; IL destroys more apple, pear, and
peach trees than all other agencies combined
Small fruits do not suffer so much. but frost
frequently destroys their fruit-buds. Each
year it menaces the early gardener.
1t was the old theory that dew was con-
densed from the air; the earth being cooler
than the atmosphere. But now we know
that the dew is formed from moisture
brought to the surface of the earth by capi-
larry attraction and the e condensed into
dew by the cooler atmosphere. If the earth
were perfectly dry, there would be no dew;
and as frost is frozen dew, there would be
no frost we cannot make the earth per-
tectly dry, but we can reduce its moisture.
and just as we reduce the amount of mois-
ture in the ground will we reduce the
amount OF frost. We know that the amount
OF frost is in propor ton to the amount of
moisture in the ground; we know that on
damp ground there is frequently heavy
frost, while on higher, and consequently
drier grouad there is none. Fruits and veg-
etahles in the first locality will he injured.
while those in the latter will not.
This presents another point: 1t is not the
low temperature OF the air aud ground but
the deposit OF the frozen moisture, which
proves injurious. The high ground and the
air above it are of as low temperature as
very likely of lower temperature than
the low ground and the atmosphere above
it; but the fruit and vegetables growing on
the former are not injured. This shows
how much we can gain by reducing the
amount of frost; and the fact that the damp
er ground is covered with heavier frost
demonstrates that the frost comes from the
ground, and not from the air.
1t is plain that to reduce the amount of
frost we must reduce the amount OF moist
ure in the ground. The moisture in the
vent fros without depriving the plants and
trees of a proper amount of drink. The
plants and trees on high ground, where
there is no frost, thrive as we'll as those on
the lower, damper ground. 1t is not that
amount of moisture in the soil necessary to
sustain vegetable life, but its excess, which
produces frost.
How, then, can we reduce the amount of
in the ground so as to nearly, or
quite, prevent early frost? | answer, by
thoroughly understanding the ground.
Land under-drained tor corn and wheat has
greatly reduced trosts; but such lands are
not thoroughly nder-drained-the drains
are yards apart. Make them closer togeth-
er, and frost will be almost altogether pre-
In comparison with the wheat and
corn producer, the orchardist and gardener
so little land that he can afford to
make the drains this close together.
Understanding would reduce the amount
OF frost, not only by taking away the excess
OF moisture, but by more evenly distribut-
ing through the soil the necessary amount
Understanding deepens the soil. Frosts are
most often produced after rain or snow
has fallen, and the upper stratum of the
ground is saturated. BY removing this wa
ter from the surface, understanding lessons
the frost.
AS understanding in other ways fully
tor its cost, the wide-awake
gardener will hardly fail to avail himself of
1t. And we can take further measures to