The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1909-06-23

different kinds were placed over the
large area.
| Heretofore little of this work has
been done on the Pacific coast in sin
necessary to raise the temperature
two or three degrees, but never be-
fore on so great an area. Instead of
two or three degrees, the tempera-
ture was raised eight and nine de-
grees.
The entire district ivas organized
into sub weather stations, equipped
with thermostats and hourly and half
hourly reports were received at the
Grand Junction headquarters as to
temperature. When the temperature
reached the danger point a warning
would be sent to the ranchmen in
that section to be on ,neir guard and
to light part of the pots, especially if
the temperature continued to fall I'M
til it reached % degrees.
! Getting Ready for the Campaign.
Thomas F. Mahony, secretary of the
chamber of commerce, for several
weeks had been enlisting volunteers,
who would be ready to render imme-
date help to the ranchmen in the
event of a frost. AS soon as the dan
ger of frost was reported, he at once
assigned them to different stations,
/ but at the same time kept a lot more
in reserve for emergencies. The night
workers would be all tired out in the
morning and a new set of workers
were then sent out to fill the pots, and
then another lot to help light them.
The big Trade and Labor assembly
meets every Friday night. On the
Friday night which came within the
time of this campaign against the
frost there was a larger attendance
than usual, and, as soon as they were
called to order, a motion was carried
that they adjourn and offer their SER
vices to the chamber of commerce to
assist in the smudging. They formed
in double line and marched to the
office and We're sent out in squads I'M
til after midnight and most of them
worked until time to take up their
regular day work in the morning.
1t was really more than frost
they We're fighting. 1t was almost
winter freeze. Outside the heated
SSCtlOll TIE temperature vi Oppeu as
low as 20 degrees. Within the heat
ed area it did not drop below 291a.
Fully IS per cent of the trees in
DOM We're cared for directly and
many more orchards were saved by
the pots which were in adjoining
orchards. A few inhabitants took lit
tie stock in raising the temperature
of the locality in this manner, claim
inc hat he NJ,
all are agreed.
Women Light the Pots.
There We're many different styles Of
pots. In one orchard alone there
were seven or eight different kinds
Some burn coal and some Oil. Light
ers are kept in readiness at all times
in a dry place. Waste wrapped
about twisted wire is used to quite
an extent as a lighted. The Grand
Junction women assisted some in
lighting the rows of pots when the
order came. This work can be done
rapidly.
| Spraying machines We're used to
no small extent to carry oil to the
orchards for use in the pots. A pump
was placed on the bed of the wagon
and attached to a small gas engine to
| pump Oli lloHl lllC CiStClho " tHC
wagon tank A wagon tank and
equipment for hauling and distribut-
ing oil for the purpose is in use. The
spraying machines were simply
pressed into service on account of the
bigness of the task, the area to be
covered calling for more equipment
than was at hand.
Only twice in 16 years has there
! n in nd
In 1907 there came the first spring
frost in IA years, and, while not fatal
to the fruit, it did some damage.
Hearing of the tests which had been
made in heating the groves in Cali
fornia, four inhabitants of Grand
Junction decided to equip their ORCH
ards with pots. This they did with
the result that one of them in freezing
weather so protected his trees that
he got a perfect crop and all four
We're satisfied that the plan was
great success.
Can Protect Il Whole County.
r. e. Turpin, formerly a New York
newspaper man, who now owns large
orchards in Grand Junction, origi-
mated the extensive and systematic
campaign recently carried into effect
to save the crop of the entire valley
in case of froStS. Karl Bickel, editor
of the Grand Junction News, also was
active in inaugurating it. Tests were
) made in which it was clearly proven
: that an artificial climate could be
created over 10. 20 or so acres four
: to eight degrees higher in tempera-
ture than outside this zone. None
) of these tests of last year however
approached the recent big achieve
} ment, the latter demonstrating not
only that an orchard can be saved
from frosts, but that an entire coun-
, ty or a section extending over many
miles can just as successfully protect
its entire area. Someone has rightly
styled this type of battle as a fight
against something we can neither see