The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-14

Doubt as well as difference of opinion
exists among srowers in the frnit see
age to the fruit crop by Wednesday
nights freeze. Assurance is given that
the apple and pear crops will not be
damaged eSa TO any apprecliable extent but
crops will be cut down one e-quarter or
one-half of the promised crop. taking the
the state whole.
Reports from the fruit districts indi-
cate that the general use of The smudgc
pots in the orchards saved from half In
all the peach crop. in many places. 1t
posed sections IN the southern part of
the fruit belt, especially in the Provo
country, that where the smudge pots
were not used the peach, apricot and
sweet cherry crops Will amount TO noth
ing. as the buds were exposed TO Il Kill
ing freeze. the temperature dropping as
with the careful and vigilant use of the
smudging pots the freeze got in its work.
Late peaches practically are uninJured.
Weather conditions favored the bloom i'm
many sections by the sky being overcast
with clouds heavy enough TO keep the
suns rays off the trees until noon or
later. This gave the buds n chance 10
thaw out and recover the lost moisture
before The warmth of sun dried them
out.
strikes buds unopened a gradual thaw.
ing out will help to preserve the life OF
the germ and render the freeze harm
less. Where buds have begun TO burst
and are in full bloom and the germ is
more exposed, a freeze like Wcdnes-
day night kills nearly all the blossoms.
Estimates of Loss.
Taking these things into consideration
without specific investigation. fruitmen
say q conservative estimate of the total
damage Wednesday night Is from % to
80 per cent OF the crop
j. Edward Taylor. state horticult tural
inspector. is OF the opinion that The tenn
Wednesday night not
low as reported, as in many cases ther-
mometers were read hurrledly and not Il
few Inaccurate. He believes the damage
will turn out to be much less than the
general estimate. Said he;
There always Is the tendency to take
the worst view following a heavy frost.
II Is not unusual for reports To say that
the whole fruit crop is ruined.
II belieye when time enables oe us to de de-
fruit growers will find that the frost
left enough buds untouched to insure a
good crop. II half the buds were saved
II means better than average crop, ana no
there is always some encouragement IN
knowing that the partial crop VIII he OF
first class quality.
buds were far enough along 10 need pro-
lection, fruit growers and FARMERS were
prepared to fight the frost with smudse
pots This fight was effective on ac-
count of the preparations. Fruit growers
were in better shape TO conduct n sue
ccssful fight Wednesday night than ever
before. ana | KNOW Indt N lJIEc UdIt W
rtnh's fruit crop was saved by artificial
heating OF orchards. II is the only way
To match chances with these cold snaps,
and II climatic conditions make heavy
irosts liable. fruit growers must increase
these facilities from year 10 year II they
are TO expect full crops.
Smudge Pots Required,
The ordinary frost is easily rendered
harmless by the use of Smtdge pots. but
Il freeze like "Wednesday night is n diff
ierent matter. ! feel sure the damage
last night TO the peach crop would have
been nearly clean sweep but for the
use OF the smudgcs.
II am not prepared To say what rho
damage was Wednesday night until few
DAYS OF warm weather comes. II VIII be
easy TO determine then.
81 have tried To get in touch With
fruit growers all over the state To get
line on the severity OF the freeze Fruit
unprotected Thursday night will be dam
aged as much or more. ! am afraid, than
il was Wednesday night. From the best
informa ton | was able to secure Thurs
dav. | should say that apricots and sweet
cherries suffered the worst Early
peaches Jared better 1 believe, than peo:
pie think while late peaches. apples and
pears are not hur, at all.
The temperature i'm and about Salt
Lake "Wednesday night went from 30 de-