The daily sentinel., 1909-09-30
TO FOLLOW IN OUR FOOTSTEPS.
continued from FIRST Page.)

devising means 10 protect his orchard
from frost.
frost fighting has been carried on
for years in the cane fields and truck
gardens of the gulf states and the cit
rus groves of the south, reaching its
highest development in California.
In the fruit-growing regions of the
west the frosts that occur are not so
much due TO the cooling of the air as
a whole as they are 10 an abnormal
cooling of the lower layers on clear
still nights. following cool days.
When the sky is clear. the ground
loses heat by radiation into space.
Different substances have different
rates of radiation. Grass radiates
heat more rapidly than bare ground
and both much more rapidly than wa
ter. Often the ground. especially
grassy surface, will thus become much
cooler than the air, and this is why
frost will form oR grass and will
sometimes injure tender plants when
the temperature OF the air is above
| freezing. When the surface of the
I ground becomes cooled below the
! temperature of the air the lower lay
ers of air become cooled by conduc-
/ tion of heat to the cold ground. If
this process continues without inter
ruption the temperature may fall 90
or 80 degrees during the night, and
result in damage to the crop. Any
thing that tends to interfere with this
! process is "A protective measure Any
thing that comes in between the
ground and the sky tends to check
the radiation and keep the ground
from becoming unduly cooled In
nature this is often accomplished by
81
cloudy night very thin layer
of clouds, almost invisible to the eye.
will sometimes afford sufficient pro-
lection. In Florida screen of lath
or canvas is sometimes used The
most common practice, however. is
that of making cloud of smoke or
fog by artificial means"
Then the Statesman deals with the
various crude and simple ways EN-
ployed in "smudging' or heating or
chards and refers to the methods en-
ployed in the Grand valley until the
last year or two. when smudge fires
were lighted not only in the orchards
but in the streets of the towns, no
heaters or smudge pots being used.
Then the editorial goes on to set
forth the condition of the air that
bring about the dangerous periods on
frosty nights when the cold air set
ties down on the trees and kills the
fruit Several instances in illustra-
tions, are cited.
Then the Statesman says:
Fruit growers generally are com
ing to believe that the safest method
of frost prevention is to add heat to
the air One of the simplest ways of
doing this is by the free use of water.
I,;
gives up its heat very slowly. Hence
the water turned into the orchard
during the night Will have a higher
temperature than the ground or air.
and in giving up its own heat will
add considerable amount of heat to
the air The moisture given off also
tends to check the fall in tempera-
ture. In Wisconsin, when frost warn
/ ings are issued by the weather bu-
reau the cranberry growers flood
their marshes The proximity of lakes
or large rivers is protection against
/ frost. In California some orchardists
put in heating plants and warm The
water before turning it into the ditch
! es Coal was formerly used eXtens-
| lively in California in frost fighting,
being burned in small baskets scat
tered throughout the orchards and
groves and this method gives results
THAT are generally satisfactory. In
Irecent years crude oil has largely
taken the place of coal for this pur-
/ pose Until two years ago but little
attention was given to this method
outside of California. hut in 1908
some of the Colorado growers demon
strated the value of the process and
last season many of them saved their
Nhn I'm nytr gt
letter received at the local office of
1.-The weather bureau from R NJ
Hardinge. weather bureau observer
at Grand junction. explains the sys-
tenn in vogue there"
Observer Hardinge's letter is then
extensively quoted
Then in closing the Statesman
says:
The local fruit growers are taking
an active interest in the question and
are preparing to use preventive meas
ures extensively next year If neces-
sary While a repetition of the un-
favorable conditions that prevailed
during last spring is entirely improb-
able. they expect to be prepared for
whatever comes. The local office of
the weather bureau has informed the
| fruit growers association and the
Commercial club that it will cooper
ate in the same way as the Grand
Junction office or in any other way
in which ii can be of service, and it
| is believed that with united effort
such a thing as fruit failure can be
leffectually prevented.
The weather bureau has published
several pamphlets on frost fighting.
and an extra supply of some of these
has been asked for for distribution"