The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1896-04-01

frost and a 'stif" freeze. The plan that
might prove effective in the case of an or
binary frost would be entirely abortive
against a freeze. The San Francisco
Chronicle in recent issue speaks Of the
experiment of Visalia orchard owner.
The experiment, says the Chronicle, was
made with the ''smudge" device of Fore
cast Official Harmon for the protection of
fruit trees from frost seems to have met
with success There are 400 acres of trees
in the Visalia tract. and during the late
cold snap the budding growths were subject
to nightly peril, but all of them were saved
by building small fires of wet straw in the
orchard avenues, thus making warm va.
por which lay among the trees until morn
ing and neutralized the cold. Though at
times the mercury fell very low for Cali
fornia, not so much as blossom of an al
mond or early plum was nipped.
This is very simple antidote for bane
which, during the past winter, has cost
Florida about $1,000 900 boxes Of citrus
fruit 1t is, however, matched in that re-
spect by the device of the Mission fathers
who raised fine oranges and lemons every
year on low ground near San Diego. On
morning after sharp night, and before
the sun rose, they sprinkled the boughs
and leaves of their orchards with water
until the frost was drawn entirely out of
them. This is plan that never fails of
success and may be tried to advantage on
even such delicate growths as Gala lilies
It's principle is the same as that which ap.
proves the treatment of frozen vegetables
with water and frost-bitten ears with snow
In either case quick thaw would have
been disastrous to them.
With either of these simple remedies to
choose there is no good reason why any
well-informed orchard man in the fruit
belt of California should lose his crop by
frost, or why any one who owns garden
located anywhere below the mountains
should have it spoiled by cold wave.
AS before said, any or all of these plans
might work all right in the case of light
frost, but against freeze which the Chron-
icle says destroyed 5000, 900 boxes of or
anges in Florida last year we think they
would amount to but little.
A few years ago, after one Of the freezes
that have worried the orange grower of
California, as we'll as of Florida, an orange
grower of the former state evolved plan,
and if we are not mistaken put it into OPP
Grafton. His idea was to have his grove
piped for crude coal oil. Between every
four trees in the grove an upright pipe ex-
tending from the main several feet termi-
mated in a torch or burner. These pipes
were fed with oil from tank. and when a
freeze was expected it was necessary only
to turn on the oil and light the burners.
We would like for some of our California
friends to enlighten us on the success Of
this experiment. if the plans were ever
consumated. 1t strikes us that this plan
offers more protection than any other we
have seen proposed. but even this we think
would be of no effect in the case of freeze
like Florida felt last season. The temper
allure was so low, that in order to make the
burners heat up the upper branches of the
trees sufficiently it would have been nee
essary to scorch, and perhaps kill the lower
portion of the tree.