Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-03-19

still closed they will stand lower
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
lessly. Tested thermometers should be
distributed throughout the orchard
and also at couple of places for
comparison outside the orchard. If
the temperature goes down slowly dur
ing the might and reaches 32 degrees
short time before sunrise, 1t will not
be necessary to light the heaters. If
the temperature reaches 80 degrees
earlier in the night then every fourth
heater should be lighted, and more IL
necessary to keep II at SO degrees or a
little higher. The thermometers out
side the orchard must be watched so
as to know how cold it is away from
the heated area.
If the temperature drops rapidly
toward the danger point in the eve
ming or during the night then the fruit
grower must be alert and get fires go
ing before 80 degrees is reached be-
cause it Is easier to maintain a safe
temperature than it is to raise an in
furious one. When the outside tenn
perature begins rising and approaches
3S degrees the fires may be extin-
guished as fast as weather conditions
permit. The lngth of time the heat
ers are lighted may vary from an hour
to several days depending on weather
conditions.
There is much more danger on
clear night than on cloudy one be-
ca1 Il in tinn of heat from the
earth is; more rapid. Clouds act as a
blanket and check the radiation very
considerably. Fruit growers, during
the season when there is likelihood of
frost damage, should maintain careful
observation of weather conditions.
They should also study the U. s.
weather reports and whenever the
forecast indicates likelihood of frost,
make ready to light their heaters and
thereafter keep especially close watch
on local weather conditions.
Alarm Thermometer.
One or more alarm thermometers
be connected with wire and battery to
an alarm bell in the house. If this
thermometer is set at 33 degrees it
will automatically complete the circuit
when the temperature falls to 33 de-
grees or below, and the bell will ring
until someone breaks the circuit or the
temperature goes up above 33 degrees.
Storage and Distributing Equipment
for Oil.
1t is absolutely essential to have
storage tanks so as to have fuel at
hand all of the time. These should
be placed near to or in the orchard
for convenience in refilling the heat
ers. II 100 heaters per acre are burn
ing 1t means the consumption of 100
quarts of oil per hour or 100 gallons
in four hours. In many parts of the
country it is usually necessary to light
the heaters only three or four times
per season and keep them going from
two to four hours. This will mean
consumption of 800 gallons or less of
oil per acre each season. 1t is not
safe to risk having less than this
amount per acre available even though
the season be favorable and none is
used. and the orchardist can quickly
compute the amount of storage space
he needs for his entire orchard. He
should also have an understanding
with the jobber to ship oil immediate
ly upon receipt of a Geographic order
Storage tanks may be made of wood,
iron, or cement at the option Of the
owner.
A wagon tank with large faucet and