FORTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT, 31 



WATER A PROTECTION FROM FROST. 



D. R. WATERS, SPRING LAKE. 



Farmers who grow fruit and vegetables have been seeking earnestly 

 for some protection against frosts in the fall and spring. So far no 

 device or plan affording this protection has been found satisfactory. 



The loss by frosts every year makes an immense aggregate running 

 into the millions. Smudges of smoke have been invoked but can 

 only be effective in a perfect calm. Even a gentle breeze makes this 

 protection impossible. Firepots distributed through an orchard are 

 weak attempts to heat up all out-doors. 



It cannot be done only to a limited degree and even then is only 

 applicable to orchards. 



This plan holds out no encouragement to the cotton planter, the 

 gardener or the small fruit grower. 



The whole line of experiments for the frost protector so far has really 

 reached a hopeless end. 



I have become convinced that water is a sure safe-guard against 

 a temperature even lower by several degrees than freezing. 



There is no possible prevention of danger to tender buds, vines or 

 plants by a temperature that approaches wintry mildness, but a mere 

 frost to a few degrees below freezing can be made harmless by water. 



My observations through many years as a fruit grower has proven 

 to me that water is the element that must be applied to prevent danger 

 to fruit and plants in the time of low temperature. 



A feAv years ago unusually warm weather set in here in Michigan 

 after the opening of spring in March. Peach and cherry buds were 

 permanently swollen and blossomed out a month ahead of the usual 

 time. In this connection a remarkable cold change came on in April 

 and every one supposed the peach and cherry crops were lost, but with 

 this cold spell came snow and rain and to the pleasant surprise of all 

 the farmers a full perfect crop of the endangered fruit was realized. 



Many believe yet that this crop of fruit was obtained despite the 

 cold because of the modifying influence of Lake Michigan. This is non- 

 sense. The water of Lake Michigan in March and April is icy cold 

 and tends to lower the temperature rather than to raise it. The value 

 of Lake Michigan to the fruit growers in what is known as the "Fruit 

 Belt," stretching several miles wide along the lake shore, from St. 

 Joseph to Grand Traverse, is its prevention of growing weather in the 

 spring until the danger of frost is past and its warmth in the fall 

 that prolongs a frostless season into October. Beyond all doubts the 

 crop of fruit the year to which I refer was preserved to the growers 

 through a week of weather with the thermometers down to within 28 

 of zero by continuous rain and snow. 



This influence of water was shown me in a rather remarkable way 

 one spring when the buds of my vineyard were so far advanced as to 

 be in danger from frosts. The night was cold and I feared my grape 



