Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1905-02-25
RELATION or FROSTS
AND AIR DRAINAGE TO FRUIT
GROWING m NEW MEXICO.

Trees bulletin 10 ioi. issued from
the agricultural eV.-e lmont station.
New Mexico College or agriculture
and Mechanic Arts. Mosilia Park.
reads a. follows
The subject OF ihe late sprine frosts
is one " great importance 10 the fruit
grower. and one that deserves more
consideration than @ Scnofaily gels.
The light spring ffusis frequently
cause great lOascs to the fruit grower
and this danger seems TO Increase
with certain varieties IN the south and
southwest This fact has been quite
we'll demonstrated IN New Mexico.
Many fruits whlcn succeed ln the
north and east are practically worth.
less aa scegEui az ieslr liability to
irusi Injury during the sprinE The
orchard fruits tha suffer the moss are
the Inuaucao piuma. late upening
peaches and apficots
The damaging cfcct5 of these lieht
trusts cnme when the trees are either
IN bloom or Just as the tender fruit is
forming Al this stnKe ~ she trees
growth n very llrhi trust Wlll he
enough 20 destroy ihc crol
while there are a number of waya
by means uf which this danger may ho
mliiraird that of air drainage % az
practical and a. important AZ any.
Frequently a plauiatl with gOud air
drainage escapes frost injury when
the adjacent orchards On the lower
lands are killed The air ~ rarely
perfectly siill. and yoi lhcle are nights
when II eppoafs To- be 90 The danger
increases during atiil and cluudicss
nights. particularly In the spring while
the trees are IN bloom and when radi.
alton N most rapid Inld air N nrav.
Ter and donscr, und accordingly it viii
settle In the low places and valleys
Al night the cold air will descend from
the hills and elevated regions into the
valleys and displRcc the warmer air.
which will rise. A person In going
across n valley IN the spring IN tho
evening will notice the cooler air In
tho doprcaHlons and old river beds. "
tho night n clear and there ~ no wind
10 keep the air in motion. this heavier
aud cold air will lio 10 the low places
and frequently cause enough frost 90
lniuro tender vegetation or newly
formed fruit. when similar growth may
escape injury Just a few feet higher.
This drainage ~ the cold air fo the
depresslons ls The secret % mach 81
the success uf fruit growing on hirh
aud slipping lands. and Tor this reason
Il becomes very important 10 give
much attention 10 the selection Of The
site for tender fruits "AH rule. the
ideal ate for a fruit plantation ~ one
which Is somewhat elevated above The
adjoining iands" The elevation need
not hc very great a comparatively
slight elevation usually gives good air
drainage. particularly 40 II the land
has a slope 40 that The air may grad
ually drain away. Farms In the large
valleys may bo sufficiently elevated
above the grnerii level OF the valley
or the local river bods aud other de-.
preasiong 90 answer The purpose for
fruit sites OF course more pronounced
elevations. up 10 a certain limit. give
better results.
Frequently the valleys are tower
along the edgce, next io the foot hlllB.
than toward the middle. and The air
draining from the foot hills Will settle
IN the lowest places and there cause
tho most serious damage 10 fruits.
Tho slopinR foot hills make ideal sites.
especially Tor the more tender fruits.
The planting ~ tender fruits in the
valleys nett 90 the foot thle. when
NNN NNiANN NhA NlhNANs NlNNhNlNN W
the middle ls not always D safe prac.
tlce. Under such conditions better
fruit sites can BE- found 10 the middle
uf the valley.
The present orchard nj tho expert
ment station h located about one
fourth ~ a mile from the foot hills.
and tho valley al this place il loWcr
than toward the middle. On several
occasions u has been observed that
varieties OF peaches and other tender
fruits have been destroyed by tae
light spring fnoats. while me same "a.
rieilog Ia orchards into the middle 81
the valley produced good crops Last
spring the freeze ~ April n practical
~ destroyed all the gruit az the sta.
tion orchard and the new growth o.
oiEht OF ten inches 90 tho grapes.
While the orchards ana vineyards To-
Gated from one 20 three miles 10 the
middle 81 the valley were not serious.
81 damaged. FABIAN GARCIA