The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-09-11

racv as to make the information of real benefit. What blessing it would be if we could foretell the weather of the coming season; tell the wheat grower of the West that the coming season would be dry or wet or inform the cotton planter that the coming year would be favorable or un- favorable to the production of cotton Possibly some one may yet divine some physical law on which this can be done. but, If 1t is ever accomplished, 1t will only be from the scientific study of weather records of long pe- riods. and not by the blind guessing and soothsaying methods of the pres- ent day almanac makers and fake ione-range forecasters. who are as much an incubus on the science of meteorology as the medical quack has been to the legitimate practice of med icine."
 Description of Work.
 MT. Chaffee then gave a lucid de- scription of the equipment of the dif- ferent weather bureau stations, how the stations are distributed over the country, how the reports of the simul- taneous observations are collected from the large number of stations, how charted. how the different weather types move across the country, and how the forecasts made and distrlb- uted.
 After calling special attention to the harmful effects of the so called loflg-range or almanac forecasts, MT. Chaffee continued:
 You may ask, in what way does the weather forecast benefit the farmer. There may be times in your work when is oF x,tto know the weather of the next 24 to 4s hours. It may be at having time, cotton picking, hog killing. or when spring frosts endangers your fruit or trucking crops. It is the specific pur- pose of the weather bureau to tell you this. Not by blind guessing meth ods or invoking any prophetic power, but by scientific reasoning based on recognised physical laws.
 Being notified of coming frost there are several ways in which ten- der crops can be protected. The one most commonly used for fruit and truck protection Is by smudging. In smudging the object is not so much to provide artificial heat, as to make a dense smoke that will hang over the truck patch or orchard like d cloud, thus preventing or retard;ng radiation of heat from the earth and the plants and prevents them being chilled to the frost point. In Cali fornia, orchardists use smudge bas- kets. These are made of wire chicken screen, cut in pieces about four feet square; these pieces are then stretch ed over four wooden stakes driven in the ground, so the wire will be about one foot above the ground; can of crude petroleum Is then placed under hA aff io xutt leaves or manure. It requires but about ten baskets to an acre, and with a torch, the cans can be easily and quickly lighted. By wetting the ma nure or leaves, a dense, heavy steamy smoke Is produced, which hangs over the orchard and prevents frost from forming.
 Protecting Tender Plants.
 Strawberry growers can protect their crops by piling pine straw or pine needles between the rows of the plants. When frost warning is re- ceived, two men with wooden rakes. held at an angle, can walk down the rows and blow the pine straw over the berries; after the frost has passed over, the straw can be easily shaken from the plants and makes a good mulch.
 Tomatoes can be protected by tent ing with blanks. This method is to secure 8 lot of oull lumber. in blanks about 12 inches wide. inch thick. and IS to 20 feet long. Lay these blanks fiat, two deep between the rows of plants; then drive pegs in the middel of the plant rows. pegs about ten feet apart, and so the pegs stand about eight inches above ground; on receiv- ing warning of approaching frost. two men can quickly turn the blanks up against the pegs, forming tents over the rows of plants; after frost has passed, the blanks can be turned back flat again. ready for next frost. After the frost season is over. the blanks can be gathered up and piled in fence corner. and they are ready for next season; they will last several years, and will pay for themselves"
 Mir. Chaffee gave some interesting in- formation relative to air drainage, showing how cold air settles down in low places and causes frost and how, by proper ditching. the cold air can be kept moving. often preventing frost formation at critical periods.
 He said that if he were a farmer. he would certainly consider the daily