St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-02-18
DR.. PERKINS has
SOLVED PROBLEM
OF Protecting Oranges From Lev Tsmpera-
fura
NURSERYMAN IS SURPRISED
Says Thai Dr.. Perkins HAS Undoub.sdly
Worked Oat a Plan 10 Keep Trees
Frsm Freezing

49, Will A4CdOluA GEI6
at Houston, Texas, has many
fine expressions to make regard
ing his recent visit to DR.. A. J.
Perkins orange orchard on the
latter's farm a few miles east of
Lake Charles, and particularly
with the physicians original
method of protecting the trees
from damage from low tempera-
lures. Lake Charles American
Press.
Mr.. Igawa has recently been
travelling all over the Gulf coast
on business connected with the
orange growing industry, from
Mexico to Louisiana, and spent a
couple of days in Lake Charles.
Mr.. lgawa states his impress
sions Of the orange and other
citrus fruit industry in Texas and
southwest Louisiana in a long
letter addressed to this Office.
He speaks of the growth of the
industry within the past few
years, and pays particular atten-
ton to the method of protecting
the trees in spells Of severe cold,
such as was experienced here in
the early part of January. when
the thermometer fell to Is degrees
above zero.
Mr.. Igawa tells in his letter
that he visited the Perkins farm
while on his recent tour and that
he was greatly impressed with
the plan the physician has of
protecting his trees by means Of
flooding the orchard to the depth
of a foot or more during the cold
spell. To extract from MI. Iga-
was letter:
my visit to the famous orange
orchard Of DR.. A. J. Perkins was
a pleasant surprise to me DR..
Perkins took me to the orchard
in his automobile and explained
his method Of protecting the
trees. What a surprise | had in
finding an orchard in such per-
fectly good condition after the
cold spell.
Where Cromwell passed a
storm always followed, and
where General Winter passes he
always leaves things ruined be-
hind him, and here at DR..
Perkins orchard it is very inter
esting for me and all to know
how he saved his trees, nearly
1900 citrus trees, 1,500 of them
being Satsumas, so Washington
navals, 100 grapefruit and a
number of trees of other varities
These trees in a temperature of
Is degrees did not receive the
slightest damage; not a single
leaf has dropped from the effect
of the cold weather.
THE trees are as vigorous as
can be, and they are in better
shape than before the cold spell,
except some trees defoliated as a
result Of the heavy spraying in
the summer. DR.. Perkins told
that he had used his new
scheme in protecting them. He
flooded his orchard as deep as one
foot and during the cold weather
he had the orchard submerged
three nights. He did not have
the trees banked up, and when
the cold spell came many OF the
trees were loaded with beautiful
Satsumas, yet all of these trees
his management escaped
Il have often heard people say
Satsuma oranges will not grow
where the thermometer drops as
low as Is degrees, but | believe
with this kind of treatment there
would be no danger at all. DIR.
Perkins is the pioneer in growing
fruits in this part of the
state, starting Is years ago. We
all be able to learn from
DR.. Perkins experiments, ex-
oeriments that have cost him con-
sacrifice of time and
money"
Mi. Igawa goes on to state in
lis letter that the result of the
'ecent cold weather on those
,rees that were not protected
should be a warning to citrus fruit
to prepare their orchards
n such a way as to guard them
against the lowering of tempera-
nnd nnun thnt Dr. pnrLins,