American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1909-10-23

the state should not be interpreted as
being descriptive Of the climate Of
every part or the state or Of every
locality in a section. To describe in de-
tail the climate Of the state would re-
quire the preparation Of separate
discussion for every one Of the almost
countless valleys, thing that is mani
festlY impracticable.
'In-that part Of the Snake river
valley lying above Shoshons Falls the
climate is characterized By moderately
cold winters and moderately warm
summers. Here the staple grains and
grasses grow in abundance. and in
places hardy fruits are produced.
Snake river valley from Shoshone
Falls to the western boundary Of the
state, together with the lower valleys
Of streams emDtying into this part Of
the Snake, constitute what are termed
the southwest valleys, where are found
mild winters and summers that are
characterized By periods Of intense
heat during the daytime, though the
nights are rarely uncomfortable warm.
These valleys are the home Of the ap-
pie, pear, prune, etc. Here there is
little danger 10 fruit trees from winter
killing, but late spring frosts OCCASION
ally cause some damage where pre-
ventive measures are not resorted 10.
A killing frost is one that is destruc-
tive to the staple crops Of a community.
If no such frost occurs during the
spring, the latest date on which freez-
ing temperature occurs is taken as the
date Of the last killing frost in spring.
Therefore it frequently happens that
the record shows a killing frost on q
late date, when the nature Of the frost
was not such as to render it seriously
destructive 10 the staple fruits, for ex-
cept at critical periods most fruits will
withstand temperature several de-
grees below freezing for short period.
This is especially true in Idaho where
the nights are uniformity cool and all
vegetation becomes somewhat Injured TO
moderately low temperatures. Late
spring frosts in Idaho usually occur fol-
lowing a rain, thus at q time when
there is a good supply Of moisture
present, and it is not an unusual thing
for clouds to form in the early morning,
after cool night, thus mitigating the
damage done by the frost. Frosts
usually form during still nights, rem
dering the practice Of smudgIng as a
protective measure highly effective. In
very few instances has any great loss
resulted when smudging has been thor
oughly and intelligently done.
in many parts of the state there
seem to exist well defined frost belts.
Some orchards are frequently affected
while Others are seldom damaged. On
still clear nights, the air near the
ground becomes chilled by contact with
the cold ground, and possesses lower
temperature than the higher strata.
This cold air has a tendency to settle in
low places. Where the slope is gradual
and the air movement slow, it will
often be found that the lower of two
orchards viii be the colder by several
degrees. In narrow valleys, where the
flow Of air is rapid, the mechanical
heating process mentioned in the dis
cussion Of ehinooks takes place, and the
air reaches the lower level possessing a
higher temperature. Some of the very
best locations for orchards are found in
the canyons and narrow gulches, but
where the country is nearly level or
only rolling, it is usually found that the
higher situations are safer than the de-
pressions. 1t is rarely possible how
ever TO judge OF the advantages of
location solely by its appearance. The
safest plan is for every orchardist to
have his own thermometer, and by
actual experiments determine which
portion of his farm is best suited for
the location of an orchard.