The daily sentinel., 1908-04-27

was decidedly proven by Messrs.
hamilton. Turpin and Haines. and 1t
is only to be regretted that every
fruit grower in the valley did not
prepare to use these smudge pots.
Kept II Up Degrees.
Mr.. Hamilton used 600 smudge
pots on 10 acres. an average of 60
per acre; yet it is probable that
there were not more than 45 pots
burning on each acre at any time
during each + the nights Mr. Ham
ilton had several men helping him.
and they worked like Trojans when
the temperature began to fall.
MIR. HAMILTON SUCCEEDED IN
KEEPING THE TEMPERATURE ON
THESE 10 ACRES 3 DEGREES
HIGHER THAN THE TEMPERA-
TURE AT ANY POINT OUTSIDE OF
HIS ORCHARD. WITHIN 200 FEET
OF HIS ORCHARD MIR. HAMILTON
FOUND SEVERAL TIMES THAT
THE TEMPERATURE WAS DOWN
TO 25 DEGREES, WHILE IN HIS
ORCHARD THE TEMPERATURE
WAS UP TO "a DEGREES. In the
face of such a demonstration, who
will dare say that smudging, syste-
maticcally and thoroughly done, will
not protect "A crop?
Mr.. Hamilton will have a large
crop on these 10 acres, while many
of his neighbors, who did not
smudge. will suffer heavy losses. Mr..
Hamilton has 20 acres in fruit, but
he devoted his attention to 10 acres.
thinking that it would be better to
save 10 acres than to make an ef-
fort to save 20 and lose heavily ON
all. In the 10 acres that Mr.. Ham
tho n a ig
serious. The orchard Is on the Sec
ond Fruit ridge.
What is said of Mr.. Hamilton's
demonstration might be said of that
of Mr.. Turpin's in Pomona park.
Like Mr.. Hamilton, on both nights
Mr. Turpin kept several hundred
smudge pots burning in his fine Or
chard. He and a number of neigh
bors who came in to help him
worked increasingly. and there was
a difference of from 5 to Z degrees
in the temperature on his ranch and
that at many neighboring points.
Mr.. Turpin will have a good big
crop, If no further damage by frost
is done-the biggest crop in Pomona
park He stated this morning that
an examination of his orchard proved
that one to every three buds on each
blossom bunch of the apple trees is
sound and most of the pears are
looking good.
If three-fourths of the fruit grow
ers of the valley had smudged as did
the three men mentioned above, 1t
is very reasonable to believe that
the temperature could have been
kept above the dangerous stages in
nearly every district.
Saturday night some of the low
temperatures recorded were as fol-
lows: Clifton. "a; Fruita, "a: In
dian School, 32 Fruitvale, 2s; Fruit
Ridge, 20; Grand Junction, IS. At
many other points in the valley the
temperature fell to similar stages as
quoted above.
In orchard after orchard the tenn
perature was kept up from l to A
degrees by smudging.
Examining Orchards.
Yesterday Sunday was spent by
hundreds of fruit growers in going
over their orchards and ascertaining
the damage done.
As far as could be ascertained so
soon after the frost more or less
damage was done TO a great number
OF the orchards: but in no instance
was the entire crop of any growers
ranch wiped out.
Yesterday the temperature was
low nearly all day and the growers
were warned by Observer Hardinge
to be on guard again last night
Last night men were at the wealth
er station all night. After midnight
the temperature began to fall, and
at about am. the alarm was again
sounded and again were smudge fires
lighted over the valley. In nearly
every case the growers who had
smudged Saturday night smudged all