Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-09-07
eners everywhere, they are Of special
value in those communities where the
Manufacturing confectioners.

eners everywhere, they are Of special
value in those communities where the
entire income of many Of the inhabi-
tants depends upon their ability to
cultivate and place in good condition
upon the market some very perishable
crop, as citrus fruits, early vegetables,
cranberries, etc. OF the various meas
ures for protection from frosts dis
cussed in Bulletin No. %, issued by
the Weather Bureau to supply the de-
mand for information upon this sub
ject, smudge fires seem to have given
upon large areas of comparatively
level ground was endangered. The
smudge as it's name suggests, con-
sists of some slight inflammable ma
terial, usually of damp straw, that
burns slowly and emits a dense
smoke. This smoke as it settles over
the orchard or garden acts to some ex-
ten as cloud and radiates and re-
fleets heat back to the earth. In this
process a brisk fire is not desired, as
heated air expands and rises, carry
ing the smoke upward to elevations,
where it is blown away by the
stronger wind.
A little fire and the greatest posi-
BILE amount of smoke make the smudge
most successful. Aside from the pro-
lection afforded by the smoky cover
ing, and the heat Of the fire, the
smudge fire causes the moisture in the
damp straw to be evaporated and con-
verified into vapor of water which may
be condensed in the colder air and
form light fog or mist checking ra-
diation from the foliage and the
ground and preventing a further seri-
Gus fall Of temperature. Portable
smudges are preferred to the ordinary
kind, as the fire does not remain in
one position long enough to establish
an upward draft.
Other Means.
Cranberry growers increase the hui
midity IN the lowest layers of the air
by flooding marshes with water after
the receipt of frost warnings. Truck
tables that are only a few inches
above the ground by blowing a light
covering of fine earth over them. This
process involves a double amount of
labor since it is necessary to uncover
the plants at the earliest possible mo-
ment, consistent with safety, in order
to prevent them from being bleached
and rendered so tender that they will
| be stunted or killed by the tempera-
lures 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
Suspended Cloths and Papers.
For the purposes of the average
householder with only kitchen gar
den or few flowers to protect from
frost, covering of light cloth,
stretched upon sticks; or one Of news
papers, securely anchored by reans
of clods or twigs, should be sufficient
when the temperature in the free air
is above the freezing point. The thin
nest sort of cotton cloth, placed just
. above the flowers to screen them
i from the sky, retains radiation to such
an extent that they will be found un
| injured on many mornings when rath
er hardy vegetation that has remained
exposed throughout the night is killed
Frost predictions issued by the
weather bureau are based upon in
4 formation on the daily weather maps
Since 1t is not always pos
sible to tell whether a might
will remain clear or cloudy
! warnings are distributed whenever il
j is expected that the temperature will