The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1911-03-24

paper read at the State Annual
Horticultural Convention held at
Rifle, Colorado, December 18th,
1910, by P. H. Troutman, General
Manager Round Crest Fruit Co.,
Canon City, Colo.)
For several years, ever since or
chard heating became an acknOw-
lodged and important factor in the
fruit industry, hundreds of articles
have been written on the subject;
some merely theoretical, others show
ing a sad lack of knowledge of the
practical side of frost fighting, while
the balance have been of the greatest
value to the orchardists and have &C
complished a great deal of good.
These articles have proved beyond a
doubt, not only the success of this
method of protection, but the over
whelming need OF frost prevention.
Not often, however, have any of
these articles discussed the very i'm
portant subject of 'The number of
heaters required to the acre In
fact, this subject has seldom been
discussed outside of orchard heating
advertisements and it is so important
that / believe it deserves the closest
attention of this convention.
The question of the number OF
heaters per acre is delicate one to
handle, especially for an orchard
heater manufacturer, without being
accused of viewing the matter from
a prejudiced standpoint, and my only
excuse for bringing the subject before
you, is the vital Importance of having
it discussed, and the fact that | am
not only manufacturer but fruit
grower, who has the welfare of the
industry at heart.
l believe | am in better position
to handle this thesis than any other
manufacturer on account of the fact
that we manufacturer all sizes of
heaters, from the smallest to the
largest, and therefore nothing have
to say should be construed as fur
thering personal interests. Neither
do l wish any of my friends in the
same line of business to take any,
thing l say personally, for l do not
want to condemn or support any par
ticular heater; what / have to say is
in condemnation of large fires and not
large heaters.
Orchard heating in It's present
form, is only few years old, but it
has been in existence in one form or
another for many centuries. 1t is
said that Pliny the Elder, of Rome,
recommended the practice of smudg-
ing in the first century, and as early
as the sixteenth century, Oliver de-
Series, the famous French horticul-
turist, speaks of its wonderful pro-
lection. In 1896 one of the southern
provinces of Germany enforced law
compelling the orchardsts to protect
their crops against frost, and COM
PEELED each man to give his services
in case of danger. This law was
worked out on very much the same
system that frost fighting in the
Grand Valley of today. Throughout
this long career of frost fighting there
is not single record showing the
use of large fires, which substantiates
the theory that there is no need for
great heat locally, but there is need
of numerous small fires well distri-
buted.
These old records would have little
value, however, if it was not for their
substantiating the theory that modern
science has followed. Every scienti-
fic principle of ancient or modern
origin supports the theory, that to
get the best results from certain
amount of heat the same must be
distributed.
The government in all its reports
on smudging or orchard heating
makes strong point of small fires
and warns the growers against the
use of large fires. (See Farmers Bull
letin No. 104 and Year Book, Depart !
ment of Agriculture, 1909 page 1901 /
the majority of practi-
cal orchardists who have tested the
various methods for themselves, wilt
agree with me that the best results
were obtained with small fires.
Large fires have the same effect !
that old fashioned hearth fires have
your face is scorched while your
back is frozen.
When furnaces were most generally
used in large houses or buildings,
almost invariably two furnaces would
De used, as it was found that two