Frosts in New York 



527 



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Fig. 143. — Coal heater 



The prunings from the ordinary orchard generally are not sufficient, but 



they should be saved and kept dry for use in starting the fires. Old rails 



or cord wood make good fuel, and when 



piled dovetail fashion, with a little dry 



kindling at the bottom, are easily lighted. 



J. G. Gore of Medford, Greg., saved his 



crop, valued at $1,000 per acre, four years 



in succession by the use of old rails for fuel. 

 A little dash of kerosene or crude oil 



and the application of the torch is all 



that is necessary to light the fires. An 



iron rod three or four feet long, wound at 



one end with cotton waste or rags and satu- 

 rated with oil, makes a ser\aceable torch. 



The number of wood fires necessary to protect an orchard of large trees 



ranges from twenty-five to fifty per 

 acre, depending on the degree of frost 

 and the strength of the wind. The 

 fires should not be large, since large 

 fires tend to set up currents that draw 

 in the cold air outside and thus may 

 defeat the purpose in vie w . In practice 

 it is best to prepare the maximum 

 number, but to light only every other 

 one at first, holding the others in 

 reserve in case the fall of temperature 



is not checked. Usually it is possible to hold the temperature in 



an orchard in this way 6 to 10 above 



the temperature outside. It sometimes 



happens that even this is not sufficient 



and that some of the blossoms will be 



frosted, particularly in the colder parts 



of the orchard. When this occurs it is 



good practice to use the fires to create 



a dense smudge about sunrise, with a 



view of retarding the process of thaw- 

 ing. For this purpose coarse manure, 



sawdust, wet straw, and the like, may be 



used. 



Coal. — Coal makes an excellent fuel 



and in some instances is cheaper than wood. The use of wire baskets 



suspended from the trees or from tripods placed between the rows 



Fig. 144. — Richardson reservoir healer 



Fig. 145. — Troutman heater 



