The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1910-01-20
FROST ALARM BELLS
Fruit Trees in Ozarks Supplied
with System Of Warnings.
When the Cold Begins to Tinele Bells
Will Do Likewise, Then Smudges
Will Be Automatically
Lighted.

Springfield, Mo.-In the evolution
of.the fruit growing industry in the
Ozarks. the apple. trees may wear
bells. This condition is to be brought
about, in many, orchards with the
coming Of the next season of balmy
breezes and blossoms. "
The, scheme. of protecting. the buds
OF the orchards OF. the south Missouri
country by the use of the smudge,
with which the ancients were familiar,
has grown in popularity in recent
years, and In its development there
has been devised a system Of alarms
to be sounded automatically when the
temperature in the orchard falls be-
low the danger point, thus enabling
the fruit grower to. light his lamps
and fires and protect the trees with
smoke while providing sufficient heat
to raise the temperature from 10 to Is
degrees.
An order recently has been placed
for 10000 oil lamps, or stoves, which
are to be added to the equipment Of
the Hazeltfne" orchards, embracing
1000 acres and: containing 100000
trees. The Hazeltine orchard repre-
sents the growth of an industry
founded by: Ira :Hazeltine,. a. pioneer
who settled, in the Ozark country rs
years ago, and who became impressed
early in life with. the possibilities of
this region as a fruit growing coun-
try.
Last spring, when the trees of the
big orchards were loaded with bios
SONS and injury and loss by cold and
frost was threatened;.<Mr. Hazeltine
tried for the first time in his locality
the experiment of burning oil in a
sheet iron device Hundreds of these
oil lamps were. used, and. with such
effect that the harvest demonstrated
In a measure the utility Of the expert.
ment. The fHazeltines and others In
terested in the fruit industry of
Greene and adjoining counties expect
to give The asmudge a, more perfect
test next spring.
While the owners Of the big or.
chards in" this section are seeking to
develop on q scientific basis the
theories recognized by the pioneers,
hundreds of..the, hill. settlers are reap
ing benefits from the smudge. used in
a crude. way, where fuel is plentiful
and where the small. farmers family
provides the .stumps and brush and
'wtsps- of hay to make the dense
smoke required and the heat that
saves the bloom. The old.time faSmer
OF the hills, however, never heard of
the thermostat, or alarm thermometer.
that-is coming into use and will en-.
able the fruit grower of the future to
know with certainty when the tenn.
perature reaches the danger point
about. 30 degrees above zero.
In the. season of, probable danger
from frost last spring the Haazeltines
had 30: men in:readiness to respond at
ia moments notice. throughout the
night and day until the danger poin;
was passed.
+ The efficiency Of vapor in connec,
ton with fire and smoke has been
recognized as an agency in the protec.
ton. Of the bloom1of fruit trees from
frost damage land the experiments to
be carried forward in Ozark orchards
next year will take into account the
possibilities of !vapor. as an agent fo,
the preservation of the tender crops
Hundreds Of fruit growers through.
out the. big orchard country of south
Missouri are preparing to join in the