Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-03-29
COST OF HEATING
AN ACRE OF ORCHARD

chard heating, also the spray cal
endars. These are valuable docu-
ments and every fruit grower should
possess copies Of them and peruse
them most carefully. An interesting
page in the bulletin on smudging is
q discussion as to the cost OF heating
one acre Of orchard To appreciate
this fully the bulletin should be
read through However, the excerpt
will prove OF much interest II
reads.
The answer TO the question as to
what it will cost to heat an acre of
orchard is quite as easy 10 answer as
TO tell how far a bird will fly. The
only thing that we can give in the
way OF an answer Is the cost per unit
OF time. With an orchard having,
say 80 pots Of one-gallon capacity
burning at one time we know that
the fuel consumption is not far from
two pounds of fuel oil per hour per
heater, or 100 pounds total per hour
per acre.
"If the fuel is Richmond smudge
oil, which weights 7S4 pounds per
gallon, the quantity Of oil consumed
per hour per acre will not be far
from ~ 1-2 gallons, which, with an
orchard of old trees covering most
OF the ground, will be sufficient TO
keep the temperature about Ave de-
grees higher than that OF the incom-
Ing cold air In a young orchard
this quantity of fuel will not raise
the temperature much more than a
couple Of degrees, and II there be an
air movement Of two to three miles
per hour, very little temperature rise
will be experienced.
"The quantity of fuel oil which
may be burned in any unit of time
will depend upon the size of the or
chard heater This has been shown
IN another part of the bulletin. In
,lne iderlng the quantity of fuel oil
ned In the above example, II is
erstood that the fuel pot used has
)p diameter such that the area Is
rDout ~ square inches II has been
found that fuel oil II not TOO light
gravity will burn from such surface
at an average rate OF about two
pounds per hour.
In considering the use of such
heaters as have large areas, 1t will be
understood that they will consume
oil at much greater rate In the
adjustable types the rate may be
made anything from practically zero
to the maximum, which In the case
OF the Hamilton, with the cover
drawn, will be as high as 8 to 10
pounds or more per hour, II is the
unit surface, therefore, that we are
considering surface of "A square
inches, which is about what we find
In the 10-pound lard pail and the
one-gallon Bolton types
'Disregarding the cost Of distrib-
utlng the oil, which will depend very
much on the facilities for handling
Il, as we'll as distance necessary to
haul II from the tank car, We may
say that, with fuel oil costing cents
per gallon ( o b. Medford, each one
"" On fuel pot will burn one cents
o'th Of oil per hour Now since II
cost one cent per hour to run a
one gallon heater, 1t is easy TO cal
ate how much It will cost per hour
pcg acre for any number OF heaters
The total cost per acre for any
nights heating will therefore, de-
pend upon the temperature to be
maintained, as we'll as the number Of
hours necessary TO continue the heat
ing
Under our conditions, four hours
is about the maximum length OF
time, and the number Of pots per
acre viii run all the way from 80 to
126 per acre, depending not only up-
on the age Of the trees but the loca-
tlou of the orchard We know that
temperatures invariably reach a low
er polnt In some orchards than they
do In others because ot elevation and
air drainage
Although It Is to be understood
that sufficient number OF orchard
heaters should he on hand to meet
any emergency only the number ac-
tually needed TO maintain the tenn
peraure above the danger point
should he lighted The practice IN
the past is to begin by lighting say.
every other heater or even every
third heater, leaving the rest In re
serve This plan permits Of increas-
ing the quantity OF heat given ont 10
the maximum when Il is needed
oThe discussion so far has consid.