Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-09-10
A North Dakota official Makes I'm.
portant Experiments With
Successful Results.
He Believes Smoke an Effective Agent
to Use Against Jack
Frost.
Information of Great Living Interest
to Farmers Throughout the
Entire Country.

oS'SSO IdIsSI, Tue NeS6IdUlS CQlIlVdCOT, the
cranberry producer and the fruit farmer
The report of w. w. Bartlett, state su-
perlnteudent of irrigation and forestry 10
North Dakota, made the present month,
contains many useful facts from the expert
ences of that official with smudges on his
farm IN Ramsay county, near the Mani
toba border. He says:
HOW to protect vegetation from in jurious
effects or frost is a subject of the greatest
Importance for it involves the prosperity
and happiness of millions of people. q.
A. Hazen, professor of meteorologv, stated
IN his able article of March %, 1890: 1T
has been estimated that in a single wear
nearly s2000,O00,0 900 were lost to this
country from frost destruction
On the nights OF Saturday, August %,
and Wednesday Agust &c, was at my
farm, near Church's Ferry, Ramsey
county, and watched the approach and ope-
ration If the frost, and assisted in burn
ing the smudge to ward off the danger.
The experience was very instructive, Civ
ing good opportunity to study both
sides of the question.
both nights were clear and the sky
free from clouds. On the % |, or proper
ly speaking on the morning of tue 3d. at
5:25 o'clock, the temperature reached its
minimum, 20 degrees. We started tho
smudge fires at 4:3S a. m. ION the % D.
thermometer, 81 degrees; a slight breez .
from the south; much moisture prevailed
To all appearance the temperature was
much increased by the smoke. The in
tenslty of the frost crystals on the smoked
wheat was seemingly much decreased.
They melted very quickly in the hand,
while the unsmoked wheat retained its
cold unchanged. Soon after an immense
amount of smoke covered the grain origin
ating from our and our neighbo.s smud-
ges.
Il had similar experience on the night
of Aug. 26, but the slight breeze this time
was from The west, and but little moisture
seemed to prevail. The frost was very Sc
we're. The thermometer indicated the
lowest point, q degrees, at 4:30 a. NJ
(morning OF 27. We commenced to gen
crate the SIN, ke at this hour, and vast
deep clouus spread over the grain. Dur
ing these two nights some of the wheat
was in the milk and some In the dough.
The oats were also smoked. being in the
milk. On the % !, from ] 10 a. ~. until
sunrise the temperature was at and below
the free ling point. Onthe 26;h from 2:l2
a. III. until sunrise, the temperature was
ditto. Under all the circumstances, my
tenant and myself were surprised to find
that to ali appearances the wheat and oats
were uninjured. Thus we had presump-
tive violence that the smoke had favora-
BILE effect in protection of the grain from
the freezing frost.
The reason for commencing the smudges
at a late hour was this: Because of other
unavoidable work, my tenant could not
make the number and size and kind of
smudge piles that desired. Though many,
and equal IN ali respects to other persons,
they lasted but short time, usually less
than one hour, and it was thought best to
burn them at the coolest hour. But suffi-
cient material having been provided, |
would have kept the fires burning all night.
Diversity of Opinion
MANY farmers claim the smoke has
and will prevent frost. One practical and
observant neighl or said to me: i know
smoke will prevent frost. | saw it on the
top of granary, the roof being white as
snow and in few minutes after starting
the smudge smoke it Was al! l4elted and
the thermometer rose four degrees, and
"uCn UlS SIlOhS ICdSuCu L Cl1i, HCdl
three miles away, the temperature was in
creased The same amount (tOur degrees).
Another man told me of the increase OF
temperature of 3 degrees on account OF the
use of smoke On the ether hand, other
men contend that sroke cannot prevent
frost. According to the present informa-
ton, it appears the injury to the grain By
frost in our state reaches to but small
RI ht lose n tho ~
ment of a large amount of protecting
smoke.
But the question of the prevention of
settled in the public mind. The careful
experiments of the most painstaking and
practical men should be presented to the
pubic for consideration.
Things Necessary TO Arrive at Facts.
SIN order to get at clear understand
ing of this important matter, number OF
things are necessary. | Will ndme some:
The Investigator should be thoughtful
and o1servant man; must have all lnstru-
ments and facilities for making needed
observations and experimental tests;
should make careful records of each step
in the investigation; should owc and use
a good thermometer, psychrometer and
d TelldUi0 UdIOuIcic nave a
knowledge of the weather for one or more
days before the frost; should know
the condition OF the grain-whether In
the milk or in the dough; the altitude OF
the grain fields; direction and force of the
wind or breeza; the magnetic or electrical
conditions; the amount of clouds in the
sky; the currents of the upper air; whether
the conditions are there favorable for form
IL l. tko Ii,
and size of the smudge piles that may be
needed; whore they should be located In
order to insure the necessary amount and
proper distribution of the smoke; when and
where to commence the hres and
how lcng to continue the same, and the
amount Of smoke necessary TO insure the
protection of the grain from the injurious
effects of the frost And he should exer-
cise Judgment and discretion in all the
work. These. with experience and other
things that must necessarily come under
his observation will enable the expert
menter to learn needed facts ard to arrive
at correct conclusions upon the matter.
Oar experiment stations will fnd this an
important M alter to lnvPsti Qate
smoke Intel gently Applied VIII Pre-
Vent Frost.
"a man may theoriz9 to some advan-
tage, but nothing Will give such com
plete knowledge OF this subject as actual
experience. # his mind is active and
fully alive to the great problem, each
movement of observation and experiment
tatlon will give him the condition and the
law of action of the earth, sky and grain,
and the operation of cold and he and all
he varied causes involved in the cease
less changes going on around him.
Il am seeking the truth upon this mat