Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1914-03-26
Heat orehards 70 save Frat.

oP@e hooNo AohC II dbeOlultls nCO
essary for fruit growers OF adopt the
practice of orchard heating in ordel
to obtain annual crops of fruit wheE
the fruit buds pass through the win
ter safely. This is particularly true
with all tree fruits except apples and
pears in the eastern and southern
states, and with all tree fruits in the
central and western states. Enough
has been done in orchard heating
throughout the entire country to
prove its efficiency and practicability
but little has been done on the study
of air currents, heat radiation, influ-
encn of slopes, hills and surrounding
country generally on orchards where
heaters have been used. Following
are directions for archard heating pre-.
pared by a specialist in the depart
ment of agriculture:
Types of Heaters.
There are many types of oil-burning
orchard heaters of all sizes and shapes
at prices ranging from 20 to rs cents
each. The early ones were mostly
small and of the lard pail" type,
while the more recent ones are larger
and rectangular in shape.
Number of Heaters Per Acre.
1t is better to have many sources
of heat than few, even though the to-
tai amount of heat is the Same in
both instances. The heaters should
be placed from 20 to 20 feet apart
each way in rows between the trees
rather than near to or under the trees,
and Oh the windward side of the or.
chard they should be about 10 feet
apart in a row perhaps Is or 20 feet
away from the first row of trees and
outside of the orchard. This outside
row thus has an extra number of heat
ers because it must protect the first
row of trees and because the heat
from it is SO much scattered by the
wind that fewer heaters could not
give the necessary protection. The
heaters are placed in rows to facili-
tate filling, lighting and extinguishing
them.
The condition of the fruit buds,
whether partly open or wide pen
makes some little difference in the
danger point of the temperature, but
as soon as they first begin to open,
80 degrees F. had better be accepted
as meaning trouble. While the buds
are still closed they will stand a low
er temperature and heating is seldom
or never done until they begin to open.
Good judgment is necessary at this
time in order not to burn fuel use
Tested thermometers should
be distributed throughout the orchard
and also a couple of places for COM
parison outside the orchard. Ii the
temperature goes down slowly during
the night and reaches SO degrees a
short time before sunrise, it will not.
be necessary to light the heaters. IL
the temperature reaches 80 degreesj
earlier in the night, then every fourth
heater should be lighted, and more if
necessary to keep it at 80 degrees or
a little higher. The thermometers
the orchard must be watched
as to know how cold it is away
from the heated area.
The kind Of oil used, whether crude,
fuel or distillate, viii depend upon
which is available in the different sec
The oils with an ~asphaltum
base are not desirable because there
is too much unburnable residue; those
a parafin base are much better
this respect.
The cost Of oil heating equipment
varies greatly and each fruit grower
must work it out for himself. The
heaters are worth from $40 to SIS per
acre, depending upon the kind used.
At least 800 gallons of oil per acre
be on hand to begin with. This
will cost from SO to $40. Distributing
and storage tanks will add to
he expense, according to the size and
Kind used. The buckets, torches, etc.,
10 not add much to the expense.
There had better be an %oversupply
IT equipment than an undersupply, be.
'ause If one heating is omitted at a
time the whole expense goes
-or naught that year.