The San Francisco call., 1901-12-16
FIGHTING THE ELEMENTS.

II kPORIS from the orange growing districts OF
X the State are tO the effect that despite the Sc
L verify OF the frost there is reason to believe
the loss OF fruit will be much less than might have
been feared. The orchardsts have resorted extern
sivey to smudgng and are sanguine the results will
show the efficacy OF that system of fighting frost
1t is to be hoped the results will not only be bene
fetal but will be conclusive on the subject A good
many orchardists skeptca of the claims made
for smudging as protection against frost. Some
have tried it without achieving success and have con-
Guided it is of little value Others have argued that
the smudge smoke has other effect than that of
thin blanket which eidS to prevent the radiation Of
the heat of the earth during the night and also to
prevent the i'll effects of the morning streaming
directly through clear sky upon the frosted fruit
They argue therefore that can be OF no advantage
where the earth has been chilled by prolonged frost
or when there are winds that blow the smoke away.
By reason Of these differences of opinion it has
been difficult in some parts of the State to get the
orchard p1oprietors to engage in such universal
smudglng as would cover the entire district with
smoke, and as consequence in those districts the
experiment has never been given full and fair trial.
IT, now after these repeated frost and prolonged cold
weather the orange orchards where smudgng has
been extensively resorted to are saved there will be
something like convincing demonstration OF the
value OF smudges. We may then expect that here
after the practice will be generally adopted and
every fruit growing district in the State will be com
parativey safe from danger of frost.
1t is worth noting in this connection that the vine
growers OF Austria and OF France continue to assert
a confidence in the efficacy OF cannonading hail
storms, despite the slleptcism OF scientific The
criticisms OF the Chief of the Weather Bureau and
other authorities in this country have been tele-
graPhed to France and in commenting upon them
Consul Covert who represents the United States at
Lyons, says in recent report to the State Depart
nent The individual opinion of any one is worth
little or nothing upon question that is being tested
by experiments conducted on a large scale by sew
cral thousand people in two great nations 1t is
the uneducaed peasantry. but the wealthy we'll edu
Gated propretors who have directed these expert
ments and who most emphatic in indorSing
them have interviewed all classes of people, scien-
fists and laymen, AMI find only one, Dr. Paul Gaze
neuve, who does not accept the cannonading theory
He insists that the experiments have not yet been
conducted under sufficiently diverse circumstances to
clearly the theory. In to this the large
proprietors and the peasants repose the most implicit
faith in cannon and laugh at the learned doubter"
In matters of this kind it is always worth while to
make experiments wherever one has the means to af
lord the risk. Our science is still long way from
all the forces of nature In the civil
lied world the soil has been fairly subdued and man
knows how to manage it. We have now to fight
weather The battle is difficult but within certain
limits may hope to achieve victory The ten
dency OF the weather to produce rosts and hail
storms nay eventually be counteracted by human
skill efficiently the skill can now counter
act the tendency of the soil to produce weeds and
generate diseases amoTg trees and vines.