Frosts in New York 529 



Probably more than fifty different styles of oil-burning orchard heaters 

 have been placed on the market. Some are little more than a large lard 

 pail, while others are fitted with soot arresters, feeds for controlling the flow 

 of the oil, and various more or less complicated devices. Extensive field 

 tests have shown that the simpler devices are quite as efficient as those 

 of more complicated construction, are less likely to get out of order, and 

 cost less. 



Good practical heaters can be purchased in large lots for about 3 2 cents 

 each. The nimiber of heaters required per acre ranges from sixty for old 

 orchards to one hundred for young orchards, old orchards with wide- 

 spreading trees being less difficult to heat than young orchards. The 

 cost of heating with oil (sixty heaters per acre) , including cost of handling 

 and interest on the investment, was found by O'Gara to be about $3 

 per night per acre. This was based on burning the heaters four hours 

 per night, which is about the time necessary under average conditions, 



WILL ORCHARD HEATING PAY IN NEW YORK? 



In some parts of the country, particularly in the fruit-growing districts 

 of the Pacific States, orchard heating is regarded as a necessity. In the 

 commercial fruit-growing districts of New York the same necessity does 

 not exist, because of an exceptionally favorable climate. This does not 

 mean that frost protection in New York would be an unprofitable under- 

 taking, but merely that fruit growing in New York is profitable in spite 

 of occasional losses by frost. Every fruit grower carries a certain frost 

 risk, which is a fixed charge against the crop. He may not have to settle 

 the account this year or next, but the day of settlement is sure to come. 

 The frost risk, even in the most favored parts of the fruit belts of New 

 York, is greater than the risk of loss by fire, yet few farmers fail to insure 

 against a loss of the latter character. Frost protection should be regarded 

 as an insurance against loss by frost, and the cost of this kind of insurance 

 is the cost of heating. Now, if it is possible to determine the annual 

 frost risk and the average cost of heating per season, it is possible to deter- 

 mine whether or not orchard heating will be a profitable investment. 



Hedrick says that during the past twenty-five years fruit was practically 

 ruined by frost in western New York in four years — i88g, 1890, 1895, and 

 1902. In four other years — 1888, 1891, 1893, and 1903 — the damage 

 was considerable; while in three years — 1892, 1896, and 1900 — the damage 

 was slight and confined to early fruits. A careful examination of the tem- 

 peratures during the blooming period in these years confirms his conclu- 

 sions. This would indicate that the frost risk must be considerable. 



Take, for example, an orchard located at Appleton, Niagara county, 

 where the risk from frost is smaller, perhaps, than in most other parts 



