Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-03-12
Firing Against Frost.

There appears to be among grow
RS around Grants Pass a large
of uncertainty and as the
season approaches little is being
lone in the way of protection. Other
ocalities are also quite conservative
n regard to the new inventions for
'ruit protection against frosts. The
Pacific Rural Press in discussing
he subject comments and quotes
rom other sources as follows;
California fruit growers do not |
seem to have yet demonstrated to |
their own satisfaction how far fir
ing against frost is superior to TAX
ing the risk of injury. There seems
also to be doubt as to the best ma
terial to use, and in what form. In
ventors and experimenters are still
at work, and the common notion may
be clearer ere long. Meantime, 1t is
interesting to read Of experimenters
elsewhere who are as enthusiastic
as were Californians few years
ago.
Mr.. ]. l.. Hamilton, a Colorado
apple grower, gives the Denver
Field and Farm an outline of his
operations thus:
will give my experience of the
past year in the use Of the oil
smudge pot in saving my crop OF
fruit near Grand Junction, in such
detail as will go to make success or
failure in the use of these little de-
vices. l will tell little only OF
some of the difficulties l success
fully overcame, and some observa-
ton. all of which have been of great
interest and benefit to me in this
work. The results of my work were
of such nature as to leave no doubt
as to the effectivenss of the scheme
My orchard is made up OF ~
acres of bearing trees, principally
apples, trees about fifteen years old
of good size and uniform. The!
are but 20 feet apart, and the
branches are very close overhead
which made an ideal condition To-
smudging with heat. Late In thu
day of April 25 was very busy pre-
pairing to save my crop from tn
freeze the weather bureau had warn
ed us was approaching and was du
that night. Previous to that tim
no preparations had been made b.
anyone In the Grand valley TO
smudging, as the winter had bee
cold and the spring ideal In every re
spect. The growers felt secure s
far as any possible damage fror
frost might occur. This was my con
dition, but Immediately upon receip
of the warning ! felt that to sit b
and watch this old Hun of the skie
invade my orchard and destroy m
crop, with no effort on my part t
interfere, would end with result
that | would not relish, and migf
feel that I could at least have trie
something.
This concluded to do, and
once secured several hundred Cal
fornia oil smudge pots and sever'
hundred gallons Of kerosene oil
cheaper oils not to be obtained
that time-and with this equipmei
set in the orchard and the pots file
with oil we waited for the temper
ture to reach the danger point.
this we had but a short time to wa
after preparations had been compile
ed. and when the thermometer sho'
ed 80 degrees we began firing. r.
: entire field of pots was fired
about fifteen minutes, after which
q carefully noted the temperatur
n and made readings from five The
= mometers. located two thermon
ters outside the heated zone and VI
away from any possible effect
radiation, and three inside the hei
ed zone, one in the middle and Z
near each edge, or about the seco
tree row inside the heat, With
ten minutes after the pots We
fired the mercury went up to
while on the outside the readi
showed 20. At this time we w
x burning but 40 pots to the ac
. and reading made an hour la
showed the outside temperature
be q, while inside It was 33. I
pots were lighted at 10:45 p. m. 0
IN burned until about 6:45 a. m,
" eight hours. The thermometer
been active on the outside, going
low as 23 for two hours, and for
D. minutes It had reached the
mark of 81. We had filled pots
refilled pots during the night,
- consumed about 1000 gallons
kerosene oil. Owing to the oil s
o ply running low, we abandoned
but 10 acres, and on this plat