The newspaper., 1908-06-26

and disappear before the fruit is ma
tured 1t must not be inferred from
the above that we learned of any gen.
eral objection to the burning of oil on
account of SCOT, as this one case was the
only one which came to our notice.
Many of the growers on the coast
still maintain that the smudge or smoke
is the saving element for their fruit.
An interesting example of this theory
was a superintendent of large orchard
in Santa Clara Co., who cut five gal
Ion oil cans in two. making two pots of
each can. These he filed with crude
oil, using forty to the acre. When
suggested to him that it was the heat
which brought him success. he demured
and maintained it was the smudge or
smoke Your committee did not press
the point.
Right here it seems pertinent to say
that your committee, after n thorough
investigation and study of the subject,
believe that smoke even in connection
with heat, forms but small element to-
wards frost prevention: that heat is
absolutely essential. and that smoke
without heat. in our climate, is practic-
ably worthless.
There are various devices and mater
ials used in California only three of
which it seems desirable to make note
al. H. .s.1
Fuel Co. of Los Angeles. are making n
new smudge material which they put
up in sacks. II is made from shaving
and other waste material saturated
with crude petroleum. 1t burns splen-
didly and is very effective in Southern
California. where il is being used.
But, the pots in which this material is
burned are rather expensive. costing
60 cents. ar d the material itself costs
5000 per ton in California, and even il
II could be manufactured in our state.
tbs price $1,000 per toni as against our
cheaper coal and oil would bar it from
general use.
We now have oil and coal to be con-
sidered. both of which are available in
Colorado. and in the Judgment of your
committee, both may be made very ef-
fective for frost protection if intelli-
gently used by the growers. Under
our climatic conditions it would seem
impossible to bank smoke as a protec-
tion against the suns rays on a morn
ing following frost. This being true it
only remains to make sufficient and
intelligent application of heat which
will prevent the fruit from chilling,
and thus eliminate the danger from the
suns rays the following morning. The
question of expense. facility in prepar-
ing, lighting and tending will no doubt
determine the nature of the material
used by each individual grower.
While oil. after first being prepared
for use with the necessary tanks, etc, f,
can possibly be hancled from day to
day with more facility, lighted quicker
than coal with the assurance of n
steady heat under the oil is consumed.
and no particular care during this
period.
On the other hand, coal would seem
much the cheaper fuel requiring no ex-
pensive storage facilities. and there is
no doubt, If carefully prepared SO as to
insure quick lighting. and given proper
attention throughout the night, a
steady heat may be maintained and
the required result achieved.
We neither saw nor heard Of any ex-
periments having been made, with
large fires and few to the acre, and
would caution our growers to be care
full about this experiment with large
fires, at least for the present, but
rather to follow the beaten path of
ANAL HrAa and mnnv To the acre. Tho