Semi-weekly herald., 1910-12-22
An O[eE at the

by Attorney Edgar BuchsS Du-
range, at the first meeting OF the
National Apple congress at Denver,
Colo. last week:
Il presume this subject has been
assigned me for the reason that l
have been, for some time past, en-
gagged in the growing of fruit at Her
mosa. in La Plata county. Colorado,
at an altitude of 600 feet, where fruit
has been successfully grown for more
than quarter of century, without
having had single failure. during
that time, on account OF frost; not
withstanding the fact that the smudge
pots have never been used.
What may be considered a high
altitude relative to ffuit raising, de-
pends upon latitude
In La Plata county 600 feet is
considered Il high altitude; therefore,
the performance of fruit in the orchard
under those conditions, and the OBJ
servations during a period of twenty
five years are of great Importance to
the horticulturist.
| IF it be possible for us to demon
strate that there is an equal area OF
orchard lands in Colorado, capable of
producing the highest quality of fruit
above $500 feet, that there is below
that altitude, 1t can readily be seen
what great benefit it will be to the
mountain region.
"As an economic question, when we
| realize the great area of valuable or
chard land above that altitude capable
o. producing fruit of the highest
| flavor and keeping qualities and that
such land thus utilized will increase
from $40 to $4,000 per acre planted in
orchard. who can compute the great
'aealth that will be added to this com
,ronwealth?
while most OF the fine orchards In
Colorado are about the altitude of
five thousand feet and less, yet l re-
alize the great possibilities of the
high altitude orchards and predict that
in the near future we will see the best
and most profitable commercial or
chards growing above the present pre-
yailing altitude.
ut will now be my purpose to give
some Of my reasons for the abiding
] iaith l have in this. prediotion--+~r--r
'One OF the important advantages
of high altitude fruit growing is the
| immunity from late frosts in the
spring: one OF the chief reasons for
this being that the blossoms are de-
layed on account of the lateness Of the
season. The rule seems to be pretty
uniform in OR mountain regions that
frosts do not occur later at 1000 feet
than at lowe attitudes, on account
of the cold air going down and seek
ing lower levels.
THE cold wave sweeps over the
country and finds the blossoms in the
lower attitudes open and in their most
susceptible condition, and they are de-
stroyed; the fruit buds in the higher
regi.ns not being advanced sufficient
ly to be destroyed, in many seasons d
bouhsiful crop is harvested from the
orchard in the high altitude when
.heIe is failure in the lower
Another reason. the higher ynI
ascend the less humidity there is in
the atmosphere. 1t seems to be n
well established fact that freeze
during dry condition OF the atmos-
rheIe is not as destructive as in equal
temperature prevailing when there is
moisture upon the foliage.
The higher altitude has, as rule,
better air drainage than the lower;
where there is activity in the atmos-
phere fruit buds are less susceptible
10 the frost than in the atmosphere
mat is dead and still. AS a matter vi
fact vegetation will stand low.r
temperature, without injury, in the
higher altituGes than in the lower.
ii is not uncommon TO find the
wild fruits growing on odr mountasIs
al timber line, 1000 iaet. where Ice
: Is formed every day i'll the year; IT,
fa.. raspberries have been observed
| irOZcn ike maTDles, ye- lHdtuio "h 4
are of good size and as delicious as
any growing under the most favorable
conditions in our gardens.
MANY times in my own orchards
r have found icicles in tie month nj
, May, when frnl. trees were in bios
som and thereafter dring the early
stages of the fruit Formation, and gel
/ nsve seen bountiful crop harvester
: There are some horticulturists who
: assert that the germ OF the forming
0 fruit is killed by freezing; by reason o.
:, the destruction of the plant cells. NJ,
observations lead me to believe thai
:. eucl is not the case; that the destruc
Y tive influence of the frost Is rathei
e due to a burning of the fruit germ by
8 the sun; that is, 1t is rather rnes
[. tinn of circulation than question +"
e the destruction OF the plant ce'ls b!
r. frost.
:. "The temperature goes down in th'
). region of the orchards; the blossom II
). open and in its most susceptible state
:. mt, l,1orou, &c froyau likewise fhs