The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1899-03-08

The steam apparatus on the navel
orchard of Mr.. Grant, the most com,
plete of the kind yet used, did not
raise either the dew point or the tenn
perature in the least. 1t is possible
that if forty had been used instead OF
ten the result might have been diff
ferent. But | am not inclined to be-
lieve success can be attained ny this
process. The truth is that the dew
point was not raised perceptibly, as
was expected, and the cold increased
until it reached the dew point. The
moisture settled and turned into frost
on the leaves of the trees, and the
temperature was not different after
four hours test from that in the open
plain near
But in the seeding orchard near,
where twenty coal baskets to the acre
were burning we round the tempera>
ture degrees higher than in the navel
orchard referred to. The tests showed
that in seeding orchards near, where
no work was being done, but where
wind breaks and the large trees them
selves gave some protection, the mer-
curry showed 2 degrees more heat than
in the navel grove, where the steam
was generated, and this proved thai
the coal fires had raised the temporal
ture at least 2 degrees, enough in this
case to absolutely insure safety.
On the Copley place the coal baskets
were used, and only ten to the acre
showed a difference Of 1 degree early
in the test, but later a difference OF 2.5
Gin orchards
cent.
| was skeptical about the value Of
this method when so few fires We're
lighted, but | now admit that the re-
suit shows this system deserving OF
general use, though | think not less
than fifty baskets should be used if
one would expect to increase the tenn
perature sufficiently in really cold
spell to warrant eject.
But the test that gave the best re-
suit, and one so marked as to prove
beyond all doubt the practicability OF
frost preservation, was that upon the
Everest Ranch
On the north line was a dense cy'
press row. On the east, from which
direction came a drift of air of about
~
row of oil buckets, the fires being so
near each other that the heat was very
perceDtible to one standing between
them. Below them for several acres
were burning oil pots, scattered some
three rows apart each way. The
trees were fair sized navelS, but not
large enough to materially modify the
Temperature A test near the row of
fires on the WindWard side gave 30
degrees. Several other tests in vari-
Gus parts of the area showed practi-
cally the same temperature, while 10
to 20 rods away 81 degrees was indi-
Gated. Here was clearly a gain OF
degrees by artificial heating of "all
out DOORS"
The oil fires were very hot and Gre
ated a cloud of smoke very objection
able. But | could not but feel that
coal baskets two or three times as nu-
merOus and arranged in the same way,
with a massing of the fires to wind
ward, would attain equal results, with
less objection in the way Of smut and
less expense and trouble.
The section where a half acre was
protected by screen overhead
showed 80 degrees, and everything un-
der it safe.
The water spray system gave no in
dicatiOn of increased temperature, the
temperature being exactly the same
as it uniformly was where no fires or
cmTdOoS wnrp made