Report of A. H. Carson. 33 



ials on band to smudge bis orcbards and save bis fruits, or 

 eise bis endeavor for a year is lost tbrougb a killing frost. 

 It is useless for tbe man witbout faitb in tbe virtue of smudge 

 fires to Protect fruit from frost to argue against tbe demon- 

 strations tbat were bad tbe past spring in tbe Rogue River 

 Valley. Tbe men wbo smudged and attended to it bave tbis 

 fall a large crop to market. Tbe men witbout faitb lost tbeirs. 

 Tbe knowledge gained tbrougb tbese experiments of smudg- 

 ing sbould not be ignored by tbe progressive fruit-grower, 

 but be sbould be prepared to smudge bis orcbard next spring, 

 if necessary. The time to prepare for smudging is NOW. 

 Preparation sbould not be put off until tbe busy work of 

 pruning, spraying and cultivation of spring work, or eise 

 wben spring arrives it will be neglected, and sbould frost 

 occur, for want of preparation tbe crop again would be lost. 

 Many metbods were employed in tbe Rogue River Valley tbe 

 past spring in smudging. Some used tbe patent oil pots and 

 crude oil, wbile otbers used sucb materials as prunings, sbav- 

 ings, and wood picked up about tbe wood-lot, and tbe results 

 were all alike. Tbose wbo energetically built fires and 

 smudged saved tbeir fruit. One tbing was demonstrated 

 during tbe period of smudging, tbat wben tbe temperature 

 becomes low enougb so tbat fires sbould be started, a small 

 amount of crude oil in dry kindling was a material belp in 

 starting tbe smudge quickly; or wbere oil was not used to 

 Start tbe fires witb quickly, pitcb kindlings, so plentiful 

 tbrougb our pine woods, were used witb good results. Wbere 

 tbe oil pots are not used, wet straw, or new barnyard manure 

 is good to deaden down tbe fires after well started, as tbis 

 material gives oflF a dense, beavy smoke, and I used it more 

 tban twenty years ago to save peacbes from a frost witb suc- 

 cess, wben on tbe same nigbt neigbbors adjoining me lost 

 all tbeir fruit. Preparation for smudging must be from now 

 on one of tbe details of tbe fruit-grower if be would profit 

 and get tbe most out of tbe industry. 



Tbe results of smudging for frost tbe past spring gives 

 tbe Rogue River Valley about 400 cars of pears, and about 

 tbe same number of cars of apples to sbip to eastern markets 

 tbis fall, but bad tbe smudging not been done we would bave 

 bad but a small number of cars to sbip tbis year. The loss 

 from frost was much greater tban tbe amount we will sbip 

 from tbis valley tbis year, owing to so many growers lacking 

 in faitb, and ignoring tbe warnings sent out by Professor 

 O'Gara. Had bis warnings been beeded, and fires for smudg- 

 ing been general tbrougbout tbe valley, tbis fall tbis valley 

 would bave approximately bad 2,000 cars of apples and pears 



s:g. 2 



