758 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



7 GEORGE V, A. 1917 



It lias been found practical in fruit growing sections outside of ITova Scotia to 

 use orchard teaters to keep the temperature above freezing during such a period, 

 accordingly a test was made at Berwick during the spring of 1915, to find out whether 

 such heaters could be used economically here. The temperature however did not go 

 low enough to do damage and the experiment was of no value in estimating definitely 

 the advantage from such a practice, although our results show that frosts can be warded 

 off by such means. 



The orchard used was one owned by Mr. Fred Parker, located on a rather low 

 piece of land at Berwick. The trees were planted 20 feet apart each way. Thermo- 

 meters were placed at the northern edge of the orchard and toward the centre. They 

 were placed one on the ground, one 10 feet from the ground, and another 20 feet from 

 the ground. The top thermometers did not register frost whereas the others went 

 below frost, the one at the ground being the lowest. The average being 30-2° F. when 

 the fires were started. The heaters used were made out of ordinary sheet-iron or stove- 

 piping. They are cylindrical in shape and hold about two gallons. One of these cans 

 was placed in the centre of each four trees and as far away from the trees as possible 

 to prevent burning of the leaves or branches, 108 being used per acre. They were filled 

 two-thirds full of crude petroleum and covered with a sheet-iron cover. 



During the morning of the 2nd of June the temperature dropped to 30-2° F. The 

 blossom buds were then just unfolding and not advanced enough to be injured by so 

 slight a frost. Nevertheless, the heaters in every alternate row of trees were fired at 

 2.30 a.m. This was done by going from can to can removing cover, applying a few 

 drops of gasolene to the crude oil and igniting with a torch. The crude oil is hard to 

 ignite when cold, and to save time and labour the gasolene was used as a starter. The 

 temperatures were taken half an hour after the stoves had been lighted and they aver- 

 aged 35 degrees. Thus fifty-four heaters per acre were sufiicient to keep the temper- 

 ature above the freezing point, and in one-half hour after lighting the temperature 

 went up nearly 5 degrees. 



After all danger of frost was over the fires were extinguished by simply placing 

 the covers on the cans. The heaters were burning two hours and consumed one-half 

 gallon of oil each. The following would be approximately the cost of heating one acre^ 

 of orchard of medium sized trees : — 



54 heaters at 10 cents each $5 40 



27 gallons oil at 10 cents per gallon 2 70 



■Labour of filling, lighting, etc 50 



Total $S 60 



Of course the initial expense would be the greatest, but after the heaters were 

 obtained all the expense would be that for oil and labour. The expense of the oil would 

 vary according to length of time the heaters were burning. 



Kentville. 



