FROST PROTECTION. 367 



When the thermometer outside stood at eighteen degrees 

 for several hours, the temperature inside ranged from 

 forty-eight to fifty degrees, with a dense vaporous fog 

 that acted like a blanket. When the cloth is open the 

 spray keeps off frost only where it actually falls. The 

 capacity of my pump is 300 gallons per minute, which 

 is enough to keep frost out of a good many acres, if cov- 

 ered in. In summer the cloth is taken off and stored 

 away. It is absolutely necessary to have it movable in 

 winter, otherwise the fruit is watery and tasteless, and 

 the trees fail to bloom properly in the spring. The sides 

 are of 1x8 lumber put on clapboard wise. The cost of 

 the structure itself, including cloth and labor, was 

 f 1,200 and it covers 1 1-10 acres. Theo. L. Mead. 



THE SWIFT GROVE AT POMONA. 



So far the shed has proved to be a success. A shed 

 will easily pay for itself in a comparatively short time 

 on the poorest pine land. The shedded grove has many 

 advantages that the open grove does not have. The wind 

 cannot get in to blow off the fruit or twist the trees 

 around so as to thorn it. Last spring and summer, dur- 

 ing the great drouth, the trees in the shed did not suffer 

 at all not one of the healthy trees even wilted, and none 

 of the fruit either dropped off or was stunted. Down 

 three or four inches the ground was quite moist, while 

 outside you could hardly strike moisture at six inches. 

 I attribute this to the partial shade which the shed af- 

 forded. Of course, I cultivated twice a month regularly. 



I find that the insects are about the same inside the 

 shed as they are in the open grove. 



The trees are easily kept from freezing by means of 

 a few fires which are easily attended to. Night labor 



