Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-31

I
crop. as citrus fruits. early vegetables,
cranberries, etc OF the various meas
ares for protection from frosts dis
| cussed in Bulletin No. IS. issued by the
weather bureau TO supply the demand
| for information upon this subject
smudge fires seem to have given the
best satisfaction when vegetation up
a. large areas of comparatively level
ground was endangered. The smudge
| as its name suggests, consists of some
slightly inflammable material usually
damp straw. that burns slowly and
cmits a dense smoke. This smoke, as
/ it settles over the orchard or garden
acts TO some extent as a cloud and "a
dates and reflects heat back to the
earth. In this process brisk fire -
not desired as heated air expands and
! rises, carrying the smoke upward to-
/ elevations where it is blown away by
| the stronger wind. A little fire and
the greatest possible amount of smoke
make the smudge most successful.
Aside from the protection afforded by
the smoky covering. and the heat of
the fire. the smudge fire causes the
moisture in the damp straw to be evap-
! ter which may be condensed in the
colder air and form a slight fog or
mist, checking radiation from the foil
age and the ground and preventing a
further serious fail in temperature.
Portable smudges are preferable 10 the
ordinary kind, as the fire does not re
main in one position long enough TO
establish an upward draft. Cranberry
growers increase the humidity in the
lowest layers of the air by flooding the
marshes with water after the receipt
of frost warnings. Truck growers fire.
lquently save early vegetables that are
only few inches above the ground by
blowing a light covering OF fine earth
over them. This process involves
double amount of labor, since it is ne
cessary to uncover the plants at the
earlist possible moment. consistent
with safety, in order TO prevent them
from being bleached and rendered so
tender that they will be stunted or
killed by the temperatures of ordinary
nights in early spring. Wooden butter
plates. berry boxes. and other similar
articles. are frequently employed to
cover the smallest and most delicate
plants.
i Cloth a. Paper Used.
For the purpose of the average
householder with only a kitchen gar
den or a few flowers 10 protect from
frost a covering of light cloth. stretch
cd upon sticks; or one of newspapers.
securely anchored by means of clods
or twigs. should be sufficient when the
remperature in the free air is above
the Freezing point The thinnest sort
of cotton cloth. placed JUS above the
flowers to screen them from the. sly,
retards radiation to such an extent
that they Will be found unlnJured on
many mornings when rather hardy
vegetation that mas renamed exposed
throughout the night Is Killed
FROST predictions ISSUED pS lhe
weather bureau are Dased upon ihIor-
nation on the 0aily weather maps pe
scrlDed III previous dI'ICI'S' "Ih't 1t
Is not always possible 10 tel "h''her
hIEit Will remain '''di "I c'o"uS -
warnings are "'S'i lo"''u "H'h''e' l,
Is eNpec,eu Lha' Tue 'eh'pei"'"is wiz
SINK 10 the DANGER point. III Su'h lp'
CdS'S '"e d'it 81 Tue S'"'' w u -" nv u
'he iIost Is HN'IS 10 'C'"' - "'"'S :
gwen gu" '"' va" ~ an VI ,''
i uSudhE Sp'''"'", aS S"u' 1T "S 'e' Il
, iowa Northwestern iIlillols, eVc'
NeSoius "' 'nC 'o'"i oiiIOe Vi -.
: weather bureau snO" '"dI 'hS eai il's'
; ish' iios' loi '"e co w.
inclusive iSu "'P' - GOD ~
tue id'eS, ish' lbs. !" spins "@S mo
, vi jun L. 80 80
y iioS' i Ho,S" 1vp'' ,c., a'iu ~,
. latest MAY - 100 "ni l'',, VIII, '"e
average earnest ua'e Oh hiIlihE iioS'
III du'"i." ~ - ON. ~. O. -, -
Na'S VI '-iN '"'ON' 81 'P''N9 -P''
y Distant Predictions Mere TvvadtfIe.