Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1909-06-10
FRosTs IN WISCONSIN.
University Bulletin Tells How to Pre-
dict and Methods of Protection.

DICT and Methods OF Protection.
A special study of frosts in Wiscon-
sin, with view to protecting crops
from damage, has been made by
James l.. Bartlett, some time profess
sor of meteorology at the University
of wisconsin. who has Just published
the results in bulletin now in the
university press.
A valuable and interesting feature
of the work is the series of maps and
tables showing the actual growing
season free from killing" frosts> in
different parts of the state. The av-
erage dates of the latest spring and
the earliest autumn frosts for forty
seven districts in forty-three counties
are given, showing the average and
the extreme limits of the killing frosts
in the regions of the Lake Superior
shore, the northern, middle and south
ern interior, the Mississippi river bot
toms and the Lake Michigan and
Green Bay shore.
The strong influence of small lakes
in the prevention of frosts in the vi
cinity is shown by statistics of the
district about Lake Winnebago and
Big Buttes des Morris lake. 1t was
found that the growing season is LAT
days at Oshkosh, 146 at WATERFOWL,
142 at Chiffon and 131 at Fond du
Lac At Madison, which is situated
between Mendoza and Monona lakes,
the growing season is month longer
than at Harvey, which is directly east
of Madison, nearer Lake Michigan,
but away from the influence of small
lakes. 1t is suggested that like i'm
munity from frosts can doubtless be
found around many of the small lakes
in Northeastern Wisconsin.
During seasons when frosts may
cause damage to crops warnings are
telegraphed from the Chicago weather
bureau office to numerous centers
throughout Wisconsin, and thence dis
tributed by mail or telephone, so that
able to obtain them by noon of the
day before the frost is expected. Cop
les of the weather maps on which the
predictions are based are issued at
Milwaukee, Madison, La Crosse and
Green Bay, as we'll as at Duluth and
st. Paul, Dubuque and Escanaba.
Crops in general are damaged less
by spring frosts than by those in au-
tumn, since those Destroyed in June
may be replanted and good yields
often secured, whereas September
frost may injure beyond recovery ma
turing crops upon which much labor
has been expended. The chief dam
age to corn, for instance, is that of
September frosts before the kernel
has hardened reducing the value
from 10 to so per cent for market.
Small grains are liable to little in
jury from frosts except occasionally
in June, since they are harvested
early. Fruits are damaged chiefly by
the freezing of buds or blossoms late
in the spring, reducing or destroying
the crop for the season.
Cranberries, being grown on boys
are particularly liable to injury by
frost in summer when unprotected, as
much as half the crop having been de-
stroyed in August Often when June
frost cuts down young potato plants
they start again without replanting
Garden crops need protection from
both spring and fall frosts, while to-
bacco fields frequently need protec'
ton when the seed is in the ground
The tobacco crop is harvested before
the fall frosts, however, and thus is
not liable to autumn injury.
The bulletin suggests a large num-
Der of methods of protection from
frosts. In the timber country log or
stump fires On the windward side OF
fields have been used effectively. A
fire in hollow or in the drainage bed
of down-fowing cold currents has
often prevented cold air from accu-
mulating in low places. In some
places good results were obtained
from the use of sprinklers, and in ir
rigated plots flooding has been prac'
ticed, especially on the cranberry
marshes. OCI0eliS Vi glass; CiOIh VI
lath have been used successfully, and
smudge fires of damp material are
good when there is not high wind.
Strawberries may be covered by hay
or straw, and young potato plants by
a light covering of earth, which, how
ever, should not be left on long. One
of the simplest methods of warding off
frost injury is the free use OF water.
| Thoroughly sprinkling flower gardens,
fruit patches, grape vines and similar
vegetation the night before a frost
gives excellent protection and fire.
ouently is more effective than solid
covering. Even vegetation already
frozen may be saved some times by
thorough sprinkling.-W.