White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-06-04
WEATHER PROPHET COOK
GIVES OUT REPORT


The following report has been sent
out for publication By Albert w. Cook
who had charge of the weather fore
cast station at Kennewick this spring
The Benton County Fruit Frost dis
trict comprises all of the fruit paintings
in the southern end of the Yakima
Valley of Eastern Washington. The
district is divided into four natural
divisions as follows: l-KennewiclS
including all of the fruit paintings in
the vicinity of Richland, Vista, Kenne-
wick, Hedges, Hover and Finley; 2
Prosser, comprising all of the plant
ings in the Western end of the district
in the vicinity Iof Prosser, Whitstran
and Biggam; 3-Hanford-Wkite
Bluffs, including all of the fruit in the
vicinity OF those cities; 4-Benton
City, comprising all OF the fruit plant
ings in the vicinity of Benton City,
Klonas and the Benton Highlands.
In the Kennewick section there are
28O0 acres OF apples and 11o0 acres
of soft fruit. ia acres of apples and
2e4 acres of soft fruit is under heaters.
This is 81 per cent of the total plant
ines and 3o.o percent of the soft fruit.
1C2 growers are practicing orchard
heating.
In the F'rosser section 81 growers
are practicing orchard heating on 1925
acres of apples and 70 acres of Aoft
fruit. This is 7.3 per cent of the total
of 1892 acres in the section.
The Benton City section comprises
755 acres of fruit. Forty acres Of
peaches are heated by IL growers.
This is one-third Of the peach acreage
and 1877 per cent of the total soft
fruit paintings of 255 acres.
The Hanford- White Bluffs section
q lmpriscs 1850 acres of apples and 3el
acres of soft fruits. SO acres of apples
and 29.5 acres of soft fruit is under
heaters. This is So per cent of the
total paintings. II growers are prac-
ticing orchard heating in this sectRon
In the entire district there are $3.50
acres of apples and 2288 acres of soft
fruit. There are 755 acres under
heaters, or 80 per cent of the total
paintings. 442.5 acres or 1913 per cent
OF the soft fruit paintings are under
heaters. 1853 growers are heating
their orchards.
About 81 per cent of the heating
equipment now in use has been install
led since the 1925 frost season. Less
than 20 growers were practicing or
chard heating in the County prior to
the severe freeze Of April, 1924.
Many fruit growers are still skep-
tical as to the exact benefits obtained
and look upon orchard heating as a
complicated process to be undertaken
only by those familiar with the tech
nicalities of the process. Orchard heat
ing is comparatively simple opera
ton and may best be conducted if a
grower understands what is meant by
frost The term frost" is used to
designate the deposit of feathery,
sr,inelilse, translucent crystals which
form on the ground and other exposed
objects when the temperature falls to
81 degrees or lower. A more general
use of the term is the occurrence Of
any temperature of 80 degrees or
lower, whether frost forms or not.
Hence, froct is simply cold, or absence
of heat. Damage from f,!ost can be
prevented only by the addition Of heat
to replace that lost as the ground
ccc1s after sunset, Heat may be added
by burning wood, coal, brush, oil,
prunings, briquets, oil sl1avings or
anything that wi produce the neces-
sarv heat. However, efficient orchard
| heating demands an economical use OF
labor and fuel. To cut down the labor
costs of operating and to secure the
greatest possible heat from fuels, heat
er. burning oil and briquets have beer
designed aud are now used almost te
the exclusion iof other methods.
| After few NIGHTS firing a grower
will become familiar with his equip
mem and can then better regulate his
firing with a minimum waste Of fuel
The chief consideration is heat ane
not smoke. Smoke plsys an insignif
can't part in preventing frost and it i;
1ouh'ful if it IS of any benefit in pre-
venting rapid rise Of temperature ii
the morning
Some of the common errors made b,
growers in orchard heatino this yea
are: lack of border fires, ||0rders to'
close to the outside row OF trees, us