The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-05-18

Vermont, clear to the Canadian boundary.
Reports are that the damage is heavy in places.
For example, two experts Of the crop reporting
service In Missouri estimated the damage to fruits
and early vegetables at $1O.O0O.O0O
The apple crop In Washington. Benton, and 9TH
er counties In the northwest Arkonsas fruit region
will be practically total loss. Peaches and cher.
ries were killed and strawberries damaged almost
30 per cent.
Dispatches said about 95 per cent Of the fruit
crop In Oklahoma Is ruined.
1t 10 estimated that Nebraska's crop Of early
cherries apples. pears, and plums is total loss.
The early varieties of fruit In some eastern
states also suffered heavily.
Early peaches, cherries and plums probably
have been killed In southeastern Pennsylvania.
The cold weather seriously damaged the fruit
crop in the southern part Of Ohio, where the fruit
was far advanced.
Thousands of Maryland fruit trees were in full
NOON when hit by this frost. Growers in WASH
7ngton county, the center of the westerV, Maryland
peach belt report the peach crop Destroyed
The fruit crop In Kentucky apparently was
killed.
Therefore the following article. prepared BY
the United States Department Of Agriculture, 10
worth the attention Of every fruit grower
The weather bureau Of the United States De-
partment Of Agriculture has been able 70 discover
the weapon used by that old enemy Of MANKIND,
Jack Frost, and In a recent published report 1t
tells the farmer and fruit grower just what Jacks
invisible weapon is and how. under ordinary con-
ditlOns the sprite's own artillery may be used
against him.
Frost of course, occurs whenever the mercury
drops to 80 degrees +. or lowes II much mois-
ture il present In the atmosphere this drop In
temperature Is manifested by the white crystals
Of frozen moisture upon leaf or grass stem. and
there Is what Is known as "white frost" II the
temperature drops to the required degree and
does not reach the point when water from the
air 10 condensed. there will be few crystals de-
posted and the result Is "hlack frost" A
"freeze" Is the term applied to condition Of cold
more permanent than a frost. and such q condition
may occur when there are high winds. True
.frosts" occur only when the surface air 10 rel.
atively calm.
Temperature, like water. seeks Q level. During
the day the earth receives more heat than 1t can
throw of. but at night this supply Of heat u
stopped During the day the heat thrown Of
by the earth warns the thin blanket Of air next
the ground. This blanket. ~ It warns. loses it,
density and ascends. Cooling a. It RISES present
" II encounters air Of its own temperature, and
there It stops Meanwhile Its place has beer
taken by other colder air. which Is In turn warmed
by contact with the ground This exchange goes
on until. at shutdown. all the air OF . wide layel
above the earth has been warmed. and the high
est temperature Ia felt nearest the earth.
Earth equandsrs IL Heat.
Now with the sunset. old earth begins to suffe
from q bit Of aerial trickery. All day long b,
has been patiently passing out heat to enc coli
air layer after another: night comes. and witt
II the loss Of his source Of supply. but do thes
warm upper layers pass back any Of the heat the
begged during the day1 They do not-unes
thew are made to. The layer close to the cart
Toes, and thus they leave their coolest blanke
against the shvering earth while they sail abou
40 or so feet above their late benefactor seren
and warm and selfish. little caring that the spend
Thrift earth 10 freezing his toes below.
As the earth becomes colder the air banke
next his brown old skin becomes colder. too. an
heavier AZ It becomes colder that the colder
grows the more tightly It nts. and he has iitt'
chance Of throwing of his chilly coverlet to seia
: warmer zone. The earth. tor prOdiSal Ut b