The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1908-03-20
FROST PROTECTION
Methods Followed in California.
Frost Alarm-Temperature Table.

One of the greatest. if not tn.
grea test, losses TO the fruit growers
in California is caused by frost.
The term frostless belt is some.
times applied to certain sections ui
California, but experience has shown
that there is no frostless belt within
the confines of this state.
Various means of preventing frost
damage to citrus and deciduous
fruits have been tried throughout
the fruit growing district of the
state for many years, but the ad-
vent of extensive production of
crude oil in California has marked
new epoc in the history of frost
fighting, and affords a cheap and
very practical safeguard against
frost damage. Mr.. A. NJ. Lathum of
Blue Grove, Texas, says that:
Saving fruit crops on the approach
OF frosts is Of ancient origin. We
find that the practice was 1ecom-
mended in the sixteenth century,
and in Wurtemburg in 1896 the men
were divided into companies OF a.
bout twenty, under a captain to
protect certain assigned districts
and were called out by an alarm
given by a watchman at the necess-
airy time.
Fruit can only be saved by. antici-
pating the approach of cold. Re-
storation is Impractical. These
Dutchmen lay In wait and watched
and rushed in advance of the frost
Their practices were followed for
years and years and there were no
grapes lost from spring frosts. Wur-
temburg is in the district of the finest
vineyards In Europe. 1t is reported
authentically that during April ice
formed on trellises that were unpro-
tected by smudges but the vines
that had the benefit of smudges
never lost bud, and fruited heavily
the following summer. OF course it
is not safe to deEend upon smudges
in long continued freezes, but they
are preventatives when sap has be-
gun to stir and young fruit is in pro-
cess of forming. The unwary spring
frost at that stage does damage al
most to "clinching finish" Just
one April frost can destroy a large
crop.
The necessity for simple but
effective method of fotesta alling frost
damage was met by Mr.. Charles
Froude, whose patented devices for
heating orchards have practically
superceded all other methods in this
state, and the Electric Alarm ther-
mometer invented by j. p. Bolton
for announcing the approach OF frost
makes a valuable auxiliary to the
Froude patent.
These devices have been in use in
Fresno County and the various fruit
sections of the state with very salts
factory results. This method is SIM
ple and the expense sinks into in
sienificance by comparison with the
results obtained. In one instance
it is reported that a company saved
$4,000 in n single season by the use
of these devices. and there are mary
similar instances recorded tho ofless
MAGNITUDE. The plan OF action is
briefly as follows:
The Electric Alarm therm ometer is
mounted within 81 elter and set up
I'm the orchard or vineyard to be pro-
tected and connected 10y wire with
the sleeping apartment OF the own
er, superintendent or foreman hav-
ing charge of the work. The heaters
are distributed thruout the orchard
or yineyard to the number OF 30 to 10
TO the acre and filled with crude oil.
Torches for lighting the hen ters are
now placed in readiness. This COM
pletes the equipment, Whenever the
temperature approaches the freezing
pOint the electric circuit OF the AL
arm thermometer closes and rings
the distant bell, automatically and
persis tently, thus announcing the
approach OF danger and enabling
the fruit grower to gather his forces
and fire up. The object OF these
numerous fires is two fold. First to
prevent further fall of temperature
by heating the lower stratum air
and second to keep the air near the
surface in motion, thereby prevent
ing the cold particles from settling
to the bottom and causing conden-
sation or frost formation. Even
where frost has formed the process
has been known to convert the frost
into dew in less than thirty minutes.
This important problem OF pre-
venting frost damage Is receiving
the attention of fruit men every
where. Some sections are more
favored than Others by reason OF
the cheapness and availability OF