Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1921-05-13

daytime heat, regrets his generosity of the sun.
shiny hours.
On rainy days, when the cloud strata has cut
off the suns heat, the earth is not much warmed
during the day. II, during the night, the clouds
blow away, the earth Is apt to go bankrupt. That
is why, when the season Is passing from spring
to summer, or from summer to fall, three days
rain Is so often followed by a frost The first
clear night presents heat bills to the earth which
he is unable to pay, and Jack Frost, natures
sheriff. places his crisp seal upon the mprovident
old fellow. The farmer looks out across his
blasted fields In the morning and signs, "a kill
ing frost last night" And this is because the old
earth, already gray with age and experience,
hasn't yet learned how to save up fort rainy
day."
The most common method for frost prevention
is to establish sort of savings bank for the old
fellow earth. Rest assured that he'll spend his
reserve iffhe can! Glass makes the best heat saw
ings bank. 1t has the curious property of allow.
ing the heat from the sun to pass through to the
EARTH but II will not allow the radiated heat from
the earth to go back to the "eager air." Glass is
expensive, however and can be used only for the
protection of comparatively small areas of ground
Wood Is also good Waterman to set above the
ancient protligate. Though it will not allow heat
TO pass from the sun as glass does, neither will
it allow 1t to pass outward from the earth In
sections of the South lath network is used to
cover crops during the danger periods. The wood
en- network holds down large amount of heat,
and when frost occurs it helps the frozen plants
by shading them from the direct rays of the
morning sun and allows them to thaw gradually.
Quick thawing of the frozen water particles in
plant or fruit is fatal as it causes the cellular
tissues to break down; IL the thawing process Is
worry gradual tho Dlnnt rpnbgorh I'm
and the damage done may be surprisingly slight.
Various Methods Used.
Paper is of less value in conserving heat than
Is wood, though 1t Is more efficient than cloth.
Cloth allows that cold mendicant the air. to pene-
trate to the earth and steal the last degree of
heat from him. So cloth covering must be quite
heavy If the frost is hard one. Iron or metal
pots are not at all good us bankers for the earth
they allow the heat to pass back into the air al
most as readily as the earth itself.
There Is another method that Is employed to
save the spendthrift from the sheriff. The pres
ence of moisture in the air makes the radiation
of heat difficult and helps greatly to conserve the
heat which the earth already holds. Also, If the
temperature drops to freezing each drop of water
gives up bit of latent heat before congealing
and all these tiny contributions help to keep the
surface air warmer.
bring this wet blanket, and 1t can sometimes be
supplied in an artificial manner by letting water
into irrigation ditches> Results not so good may
be had by building damp smudge fires In the Or
chard. Cranberry growers often save their crops
by flooding the area with water. In the event of
extreme cold 1t Is often possible to suomerge en-
tire areas growing this crop. This gives absolute
protection. Less prodlgal than EARTH water keeps
its reserve heat for long periods of time.
Force Air to Be Honest
The third method of keeping the earth solvent
is by adding heat to the air layers near the sur
face This is done by means of many small fires
of oil, coal, wood, or orchard refuse and is n
method well known in sections where fruit grow
ing Is a speciality. It Is sometimes scorned as an
attempt to warm up all outdoors" but that is
not what happens, exactly. We know that at
night, the air above the earth Is warmer than
the air directly against It. Therefore, If the low
err and colder strata could be lifted and mixed
with the upper air, higher and more equabe
temperature would result.