Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-03-13
or INTEREST TO
FRUIT GROWERS.
Some SeasooabIe and Timely PoInt'
ers on Frost Fighting
TREATISE ON THE SUBJECT.


Pamphlet Just Issued
----------
The United states weather olllce IN
this city calls especial attention 70
treatise published by the department
at Washington on frost hghting iea'-
ures Of which viii be- Of marked inter-
est to fruit growers ia this ana od'
joining states. In the report IT is
stated thai EVERY fruit grover should
put himself In communication win the
nearest center Of distribution Of "eath'
or forecasts. II possible he should be
In daily communication with SOME
weather bureau office Whenever frost
warnings are issued for his locality ne
should carefully determine the temper
aturo ana dew-point frequently during
the late afternoon and night, A good
outfit consists of metallic lherm0m'
eter 50 arranged as to automatically
close an electric circuit and ring an
alarm whenever the temperature OF
the air reaches % degrees, In addition
10 reliable sling psychrometer there
should be some small device Tor lesllnB
the motion Of the gentle air currents
In The orchard. Too much attention
cannot be- given to this question OF ar
motion. Many smudging devices nave
failed because of n slow movement OF
the smoke away from the orchard,
1T IA well known that lowlands are
Visited WITH frost while hillsides ana
hlltops esclpe Every fruit grower
should Study the topography of his
and and Ilant accordingly Wind
breaks are as rule detrimental but
no hard ami fast rule, however can be
laid down.
IN the matter Of smudgng, the treat
ise has this to say;
Damp straw, old wood, prunlngs,
manure, etc. when burned briskly fuf-
lish an effective smoke. and II the ma
.orial while burning is doused with wa
ter, the result Is dense steamy smoke
Which. while trying on human lungs,
leryes as a screen TO prevent loss OF
heat by radiation and as a barrier Ne-
ween the chilled fruit and a sudden
application OF heat az the time OF sun
Use Wet smudglng has been tried In
many ways with varying results, There
IRE many reports Of failure, and on the
other hand. some definite results, show
ng the good accomplished by this
method Here. az in all other meth
IDS Of protection much VIII depend up.
N a careful study Of the local cOndl-
lens MANY q farmer smudges 80
80 la. I.tss pf
.,s work while his own fruit remains
Unprotected An motion OF the air
should be noted carefully and this IL
sometimes difficult where the smoke
= very dense IN some orchards
JACKS of old straw soaked with oil are
90 distributed as TO be available for
lulCk lighting, Portable smudges have
also been devised
On protective methods based on irri-
gutiOn Che treatise says
"Of al methods proposed for the pro-
,ectlon OF fruit, excepting wire bas-
SeIs, Irrigation has the largest amount
" evidence in les favor. II has been
rled IN many different places with
different crops and has generally Biy-
N satisfaction Where water is not
tcrY plentiful and this Is the case
trlgely enough IN some fruit see
ions the method may not always be
preferable, hut with this exception
hnre are many decided advantages In
b. generous use Of water Injury
ron frost depends almost as much
ip0'l the conditions of the tree as upon
he severity Of the weather Critical
lcliods in The lie Of the tree IAN be
controlled 20 some degree By the use
If water. Some fruit growers hold
hat heat Is the one dining that is de-
sired at times Of frost ana that the
pest method is that which produces
heat by the simplest and least eXpen-
iiye process. Water owing 10 its
nigh specific heat, forms an excellent
agency for the temporary storage of
leGt energy. We have seen that In
Nc wet smudge an attempt Is made TO
itllzo the latent heat Of vanorlzation,
md theoretically this has always seem
ID the most advantageous method A
modification Of the wet smudge is
team piped through an orchard"
In the matter OF spraying. Il is stat
"a.
After frost or rather Just before
rost has ended, a spraying device can
ie used TO advantage Its chief func-
ion Is 10 prevent a too rapid warming
IT the chilled fruit, II is said by h0r-
icultdrists that even the Hight coating
II lee formed in this way does not so.
'ously damage the fruit II ls very
likely that the latent heat OF solidld-
Ntion set free by the change nom wa
en- 10 zee may play helpful part. but
he chief effect is TO prevent a too
apld thawing In other words. both
leat and water should be supplied 10
he chilled plant slowly ana according
o the plants ability to make good usa
y the same A part Of the grove Is
protected by sprinkers al The top of
Q-f1)t maats.'
AS TO protective methods based on
creenlng on covering, il Is said;
IAN screening or covering devices
ire in effect modified hotHouses. and
here Is no question but that a thor
lugh protection can be ACCOMPLISHED.
The expense IL the one objection.
Screens are made of light materials
namely, canvas, muslin on llght wood
work and have been used with cunsld
rable success There Is no question
Is To the value OF the protection. but
he expense is considerable, averaging
perhaps 500 90 the acre. This lath
overing may be- considered ass form
ng well ventilated dollhouse"