The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1920-03-12
GROWING ORANGES
IN CALIFORNIA

trees, when possible wave goes 10
30 degrees above zero. A grower IN
Covina has covered his grove with
trelIises of iron pipe from which he
allows spray of water to descend
when the mercury and barometer
warn that Jack Frost is near, He
shows reports that his crops have
never been hurt dollars worth by
frost even though his neighbors have
suffered severely.
"The one great popular inventor
by which frost is fought in California
is by the old original method of rails.
ing temperature. The heater is popu-
'iarly called the smudge-pot, because
so many early frost fighters reasoned
that dense black SCOT was as use.
full as heat. 1t prevents too rapid
thawing of the frozen orange or lem
on, when the earliest rays of sunshine
smites after cold night There are
several hundred inventions of heaters
and smudge-pots. They are all alike
in general principle-in burning crude
oil and in form and size. But they diff
fer in length of smoak stack and in
vents, and drafts. The California
courts have been clogged with suits
about smudge-pot patents.
set in the groves in San Gabrie
Pomona and Cucamonga valleys alone
are over 100000 heaters. Riverside
cclonly resisted use of the smoky
heater for seasons until it was shown
that they actually saved groves pro.
duct. The same was true of Ontario
and Lamanda. But last year, when on
Christmas night the temperature went
down to Fl and p degrees Fahrenheit.
and running of heaters saved thou
sands of acres from injury, while rs
many thousand acres. unsupplied with
heaters, were frost hurt, the solution
was so evident that the orders this
past summer have been the heaviest
u.
drop one night this winter, the indi
cations are that half million heaters
will be run Pomona and Claremont
are the heaviest users of heaters in
the whole state. The horticultural of
flee finds the sum of s1.360.000 has
been spent in orchard heaters. ana
that during the last summer $450.000
of this has been invested, chiefly in
Riverside and Corona The Chase
grove. the largest in California, spent
1920, 900 in heaters. The Chase crol
of oranges and lemons, last winter.
brought $4,000. Had it not been
for Jack Frost's visit on Christmas
night, it would have been nearer half
million dollars.
"Concensus Of opinion at the state
horticultural meeting in Riverside was
that most any smudge-pot and heater
lit all depends upon the abundance(
would raise the temperature at1least
five degrees. Several heaters claim
eight and ten degrees. Four years ago,
when inventions had not been made
in the heaters, one heater or pot TO I
tree was common Now that larger
heaters and more efficient apparatus
have been devised. one heater to four
trees is the average. But the more
timid grower, bound to save his crop
at any expense and labor, used one
not for two trees. The five and SIX
wear old heaters. made of sheet steel.
held three gallons. That required a
refilling of the stove, if it was burned
from sunset until dawn. at about MID
night The latest heaters hold seven
gallons and will burn furioasly ten
hours.
People who have nothing TO do with
the lemon and orange industry may
wonder why, if yields are actually
saved from frost. all the growers are
not unanimously for the heater propo-
sition 1t is largely a matter of eco
omic ability and of opinion. It costs
big money to run heaters and especil
" is the original expense heavy.
Before the war advanced prices IF
steel and oil, it was different. Labor
costs have also greatly increased
The question is, do the sales of or.
anges and lemons justify the outlay
for anti-frost devices, even though
fruit prices have gone up to the high
est points ever known.
~The battle with frost was not
reckoned on in the calculation Of the
buyer Of a grove when he invested
1t is all extra expense. joined with the
rapid advances in maintaining his
property.
"Modern orchard heaters never cost