The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1909-12-17
allN FACTS ON
FROST FIGHTING
ealxO VALLEY BANK CASHIER
eIvEs STORY OF CAMPAIGN
November 3Oth, 1909.

,.sing for a letter outlining my
i ohservations and conclusions in re-
ference to orchard heating in the
Grand Valley.
Our fruit growers have just com.
pleted harvesting one of the best
general crops that the Valley has
induced and we all feel that it is
very largely due to the manner in
which the orchards were taken care
# thru very severe freeze during
the last week OF April.
During YOUR recent visit to the
Grb. V ley N"n undoubtedly
earned that the year 1908 was prac-
tically failure with our fruit grow
ers as they experienced, early in
that Spring, a four days freeze.
However, there were a very few of
our fruit growers who had prepared
some plan Of heating their orchards
one in particular had covered ten
acres of his twenty acre orchard
with oil heaters and for four nights
fought the frost in this manner and
as result was able to bring through
a full crop in this part of the
orchard. The trees adjoining this
orchard were barren. This, we
consider splendid demonstration
Of what could be done in the way
OF protecting our orchards against
frost and as result of this demon
stration we encouraged all of our
growers to- equip their orchards for
the year 1909 with some system Of
heating. The result was that sever
al companies were organized in the
Grand Valley for the manufacture
Of these heaters. AS we have an
abundant supply Of coal in the
Valley. majority of the people
used the coal heaters while Others
used the crude oil and both methods
gave entire satisfaction. The only
advantage that the Oil heater has
over the coal heater is in the refill
ing During the last week of April
We had 4 severe freeze fol four
nights and AZ our people were
Obliged to work practically all night
long the refilling- during the day
proved to be quite a problem. 1t Is
very seldom, however, in the Vale.
that such a freeze occurs more tina,
two nights in succession. During
q eezc this ~. 'h.. ,hernome :,
outside of The heated district d.. :.
ped as low as eighteen degrees above
zero while in the heated district the
temperature was held at about
twenty-eight degrees.
The great majority of our people
we're obliged to give their notes for
their equipments and the Grand
Valley National Bank carried about
eighty percent Of the notes given in
the Valley for this purpose. These
notes were simply their straight
note backed by our Association or
the Manufacturer of heaters. The
manner in which this paper has
been taken care OF this Fall has
been very gratifying as it is our
observation that each man who
equipped his orchard in this man.
ner Melted good results on his crop
this Fall.
We feel Low that the work done
along this Zine has placed our
lands. on a better commercial value
than ever before as we feel that in
this manner we will be able to bring
through a crop any year as it has
happened but once before during
the history of fruit growing in the
Grand Vally that there has been
four days freezing during the bloom
season.
The cost of equipping an orchard
is comparatively light compared
with the results for such work
After the original equipment the
cost should not exceed $1,000 per
acre.
We feel that your fruit growers
would make no mistake in taking
up this matter at once. 1t there
is any other information that you
=