The Delta independent., 1908-05-22
Grand Junction
Smudging Tests

Junction last week and witnessed a
smudging test conducted under the di-
rection of the allied Fruit Growers
Associations of the Western Slope.
Sixteen representatives from Delta
and Montrose counties, as the guests
of Manager Moore of the Grand juno
tion Fruit Growers Association, Wis
tied the orchards in the valley on which
smudging operations have been con-
Quoted during the recent cold snap.
which did so much damage to the fruit
on the Western Slope.
One orchard visited, in particular,
that of Mr.. James Hamilton, located
about four miles from Grand Junction,
proved to be of particular interest. Of
the twenty acres in orchard, owned by
Mr.. Hamilton, he has actually saved
ten acres by the use of what is known
as crude petroleum oil pot.
These pots contain less than one gal
lon of oil. and are lighted by means of
torch. Mr. Hamilton reports using
in all. one hundred pots to an acre, but
at no time were they all in commission,
He thinks that fifty pots to an acre
will save any crop under ordinary con-
dItions His record reads that with
eighty pots to an acre, he raised the
temperature fourteen degrees, and the
result obtained in the Hamilton or
chard is very encouraging to the fruit
growers of this valley.
He has actually saved ten acres of
I apples, while outside of the smudging
zone, up to within twenty-five feet of
that zone, everything has been posi-
lively killed.
] When we were visiting the orchard,
we found the pots in place, filled with
oil and ready at moments notice.
This, we are told, is the manner in
which the work is handled in California.
The trees in the Hamilton orchard
are 20x20 feet and the pots were so
arranged that one was placed to give
the most beneficial effect to four trees.
In other words, they were placed in
the center of the square formed by the
four trees. The heat radiating from
these pots being sufficient to protect
the fruit buds at almost any tempera-
ture.
In general way, your representa-
tive found the conditions in the Grand
valley even more serious than they are
reported locally here, except in iso-
lated places or where smudging was
followed effectively.
At meeting which taxed the capac-
ity of the Opera House in Grand juno
ton, the principal speaker was Mr.
Bolton of Fresno, Cal, who is con-
nected with the Government Weather
Bureau at that point. He said in part
that our department demands of us
ing process in connection with our
other duties, and we necessarily have
to study the matter thoroughly.
He discussed TIE various methods
employed, many of which are now OBJ
solete. For instance, heating by steam
: pipes, which is found to be too expen-
sive. Portable smudg;ng carried
through the orchard by 4 couple of
Cinnamon. The Copeland Coal Basket
holding bushel of coal, one each of
, which was suspended near each tree.
, The Brickett, made of composition of
; slack coal oil, tar, etc. MIR. Bolton
| dwelt at considerable length on the
virtues of his particular smudgiDg de-
vice referred to above. Perhaps the
most potent reason for that is that he
is interested in the company manufac-
turing this device.
He said that they saved crop in
, California for five consecutive years AT
cost of two to three dollars an acre
per year. He defies any man to dis
prove this statement. He says not to
! burn manure or straw, as you cannot
: save fruit crop in that way.
One of the lowest temperatures ex-
perenced in California, he believes to
be about twenty-six degrees, and the
number of pots used to the acre is
l from twenty-five to forty. They place
their pots in the field in January and
take them out III May, always ready
| for business. He says they burn from
four to six hours. They have tried the
larger and the smaller sizes, but they
: believe this to be the ''most success
ful' pot ever manufactured. He re-
l ports that these pots will last from five
to ten years, recommends that the out
7 side of the orchard shoald be well
smudged He says the most dangerous
r point is in the half hour before and the
> half hour following sunrise.
, One of the principles of this smudg-
: ing is that the lower stratum of air is