Milford chronicle., 1913-09-19
FIRE POTS WILL CERTAINLY
PROTECT PEACH ORCHARDS
Where These Applications Have Been
Used the Crop Has Been Large. Many
Others VIII Try the Experiment.

In a recent issue The Delaware State
News gives the following article regard.
( the use Of fire pots for protecting peach
orchards from late frosts:
Professor Scott began his lecture tc
the practical peach men by assuring
them that they set out orchards with
reasonable safety now. Hitherto, /
admit it has been somewhat Of a gam
bic, said the former Government ex-
pert, but you can proceed and lay out
your orchards if you are determined to
follow systematic cultivation and spray
ing, and rest easy, at least with same
assurance Of success that you can with
almost any other crop where you have
to exercise a little patience.
First in the peach business, said the
professor, is the proper selection of vari-
eties-of varieties that will pay to grow,
not simply those that are fine te eat.
He recommended the selection of sew
eral early varieties up to Elbertas. but
that no peach be planted that would
ripen after Elbertas. you must
remember that the same secrets of
growing peaches have been discovered
now by the fellow up farther North,
said Scott.
Iguatis Cooper and Colonel Charles L.
Terry, owners Of the big peach orchard
near Dover from which over IS, 900
worth Of highly-cOlored fruit was lust
harvested have decided to guard against
frost in their peaches next Spring by the
use Of smudge fires, burning crude oil.
They already have /, $50 fire boxes but
this month they will send in an order
for, 1000 more as they noticed a search
ty Of tlne fruitOn sections of the orchard
where they did not burn the smudge
hres this Spring. The new boxes. it is I
estimated, viii practically keep the /
frost out Of their orchards, if properly /
cared for.
The Chandler orchard near Milton lost
many peaches, it is claimed bv a re-
occurrence in the management
If their orchard fires. The fires were
Kept brightly burning or in readiness
Until after the first day of Nav. when
he owner ordered the fire boxes remov-
ID Tor Spring. cultivation. Only about
lait were taken out by May 8 when
here was a heavy frost. Fire was
quickly started in all the boxes remain
ng and IN this zone Of the orchard there
we're peaches this year while the section
'here boxes had been removed was
Practically bare.
Experts have ascertained that the dry
moke is not only good for the trees and
frost preventive, but the heat actually
)wers the temperature among the trees
rom three to five degrees. The tenn
erature, after budding time begins. i
lust be keep above 28 degrees, the t
llling point
Colonel Terry also noticed another ad- t
antage in growing his own crop of G
caches. The first and second spravings L
ere with lime-sulphur the self-boiled ;
,lution, but the third spraying was n
it'll the atomic sulphur. He gives this
the reason for his perfect color this II
.ar. Several other growers having p
ed the sel-boiled mixture for the third vi
ray, were surprised TO see some their n
st peaches have a dusty appearance di
.e they had been grown beside a drv tt
ad. A number of the big shippers m
d peaches thus busted" " but the ar
rry peaches shswed no signs of anv pI
perfections whatever in color. it is
lined.