The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-01-21

A Close Screen of Willows and Wire
Will BE Used Over One Thousand
Acres to Protect the Citrus Growth
From the s~un-Artifcial Heat For
Cold Days.
Work has begun in the Salt river
valley on a gigantic scheme for grow
ing fruit indoors, writes the special
correspondent of the New York Post
from Phenix, Ariz. The project in
wolves the roofing of more than 1000
acres of orange. lemon and pomelo
trees.
1t may seem strange to persons who
know this part of Arizona that protec-
ton should be necessary to fruit trees
in the Salt river valley, but to irriga-
tlonists who are aware Of the evapora-
tive powers Of the Arizona sun a pro-
tecting offers a solution of one of
the most difficult problems which con-
front orange growers. Arizona oranges
on the New York market this month
lDecemberi brought the highest price
ever known, but the crop was very
short, less than half that of a year
ago and not more than one-fourth as
heavy as that Of two years previous
For the shortage the growers blame
the excessive heat Of the last sum
mer. and it is to guard against a repe-
tition of such a condition that they are
preparing to cover their groves.
The plan is Il simple one. elaborate
only in it's size. Poles will be put up
in the orchards. and or these will be
strung heavy wires in parallel rows.
Then will be cut the heavy willow
brush. the variety known as the water
motus, which grows from five to ten
feet high along all the water courses
of Arizona. These sticks will be laid
across the wires, with spaces between
of from one-quarter to three-quarters
Of an inch. and thus form a roof which
will not keep out the sun entirely from
the trees. but will break the fierce
heat of the midday sun. Thereby the
earth about the roots of the trees may
be kept moist by less frequent irriga-
ton and thus prevent the hard baking
of the soil. which prevents the proper
spread Of the roots.
Some time s experiments were be-
gun here in putting covers of canvas
over orange trees, but that plan was
abandoned because of the fact that
the cloth covering kept out too much
of the sunshine.
The work now in progress in the
Salt river valley is being watched
closely by the officials at the govern
ment experiment stations at PheniX
and at Tucson. While in Arizona the
roofing for the orchards is intended
primarily as a protection from the sun,
it will also serve to keep out the frost
which sometimes comes. 1t has been
customary in The orange countries to
build at night low fires through the
groves OF to make smudges. These
methods. however. have never proved
satisfactory, and to provide a better
fuel extensive experiments are being
made at Senator w. A.. Clark's coal
fields at Gallup, N. NJ. Here it has
been found that a composition made
up of coal dust. held together by !
small quantity Of asphaltum. together
with an equal amount of crude oil,
provides an economical fuel which will
give out strong and steady heat and
hold its fire for a long period. This
composition is being made into bricks.
which can be easily handled and plac-
ed about the orchards. With the pro-
lection of the roofs and the heat from
these bricks of fuel it is believed have
been found the safeguards which will
do away with the obstacles which pre-
vent in many localities the raising of
Citr11S fruits nj n Dl'0ft-
4 New Wall PAPER.