The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-02-03

but It's cost laid down is about double
that of crude oil. However, it is O
fuel that can be relied upon since 1t
can never contain water. AS a mat
ter of fact, if water were poured in.
to 1t. its specific gravity would case
1t to be always on top. Careful
tests have shown that, gallon for GAL
lin, it will last longer than crude
Oil and is not SO easily extinguished.
1t is also easier to light since 1t VIOLA
tilizes more readily than crude oil.
However, in lighting both these fuels.
gasoline should be used.
In lighting crude oil or distillate,
the following very simple method has
been employed by many of the or
chardists: A mediumsized machin-
lists oil can is filled with gasoline
and few drops are squirted into
each pot A small plumbers torch
is fixed to the end of stick about
two feet long, and as the gasoline is
squirted into the oil-filled pot. tho
lighted torch is Immediately applied.
BY this method, fuel pots may be
lighted as fast as man can walk
through the orchard.
Mention has been made of the use
of wood and coal. Previous to the
past season, fine materials, such as
shavings and sawdust saturated with
crude oil, were used to light the
coarse material. However, 1t has
been found that the easiest way to
light the wood preferably heavy
sticks since light wood burns too
rapidly is to first place the half
dozen sticks for each pile in such a
way that the ends dovetail. Then q
can OF kerosene and plumbers
torch are used to light the wood in
much the same way as the gasoline.
Sometimes. instead of using a plum
ber's torch. a large swab, saturated
with kerosene and used as torch.
served the purpose very we'll.
In order to light the coal, which is
mined near Medford. Greg. it was
found necessary to employ the coal
heaters. In using heaters, a piece of
waste. saturated with crude oil, Is
first put into the bottom, and, on
top Of this, fine material; such as
small sticks of pine or other readily
ignitible stuff. is placed Then
about Is or 80 pounds of broken
coal are poured in. In lighting, a
torch is applied at the bottom of the
heater. the flame passing through
the vents and igniting the waste
These heaters are lighted as rapidly
as any other fire, but much more
time is necessary in preparing them
for use.
A large. number of practical tests
have been made in order to deter
mine the length of time different
materials will burn and give the
maximum amount of heat to the sur
rounding atmosphere. Measured
gallons of crude oil and distillate,
burned both in the Fresno pot and
in common 10-pound lard pail
holding a gallon each. were used in
the tests. While there was some
slight difference in different lots. or
samples, the average time taken 70
burn a gallon of each with the COW
ers or hampers entirely removed was
about 4 hours. There seemed to be
no difference in the style of pot so
far as the time required to burn one
gallon nor in the amount of heat
given off. The row of holes at the
top Of the Fresno pot seemed to be
of no advantage whatever. The
tests under actual service in the or
chards showed that a plain sheet
iron pot without any holes or vents
would serve every purpose. The
charge usually made for the various
patent pots runs all the way from 20
to rs cents or more; while pot just
as good could easily be made for
from s. to 10 cents, depending upon
the quality of the sheet iron.
Coal fires in sheet-iron heaters
filled with from IS to 80 pounds of
coal easily burned to s hours with
the. damper removed: Wood fires,
with about good fir sticks of cord
wood, lasted easily to 5 hours.
In the burning of cord wood or long
er sticks, more attention is neces-
sary Ia order to get the best results.
It is quite necessary to frequently
move the sticks forward into the era
ter of the flame so as to keep them
burning However. knowing the
direction from which the slight
breeze usually comes, the wood may
he SO placed as to secure good re-
suits with a minimum amount of la
Dor. BY cord wood. the 4-foot
lengths is to be understood. The
number of fires per acre must neces-
sarily vary between wide limits. In
an old orchard, where the trees are
large and mostly cover the ground,
fewer fires are needed in order to
maintain safe temperatures than in
an orchard of young trees which only
partly shade the ground. Under or
binary conditions, an old orchard