FROST PROTECTION. 309 



THE HAW CREEK GROVE AT CRESCENT CITY. 



The covered shed of this company was constructed 

 during the fall of 1901, but was not finished on account 

 of the wet weather, in time to entirely protect the young 

 trees from the severe cold of December of that year. On 

 about half of the grove the framework was up and ma- 

 terial scattered about, and this slight protection sufficed 

 to preserve the trees from the injurious effects of the 

 cold, while the other or east half being without any pro- 

 tection whatever, was cut by the frost so as to be set back 

 about a year behind the west half. The trees were young 

 buds set out in the summer and fall of 1900, all tanger- 

 ines. The present structure covers a little less than ten 

 acres, about 650 feet square. It is surrounded by a wall 

 sixteen feet high, with posts supporting the overhead 

 structure placed 12 1-2x17 feet apart. The overhead cov- 

 ering is cotton cloth, Osnaburg, treated after a process 

 of our own to preserve it from mildew. We use sheet- 

 iron stoves in which we burn coke to raise the tempera- 

 ture in severe cold, about 125 to the ten acres, but think 

 we should use more. Each strip of canvas is pulled by 

 itself one-half across the grove. We design, how- 

 ever, to pull two strips all across the grove at one pull. 

 At present, one pull of twelve and one-half feet covers a 

 space of seventeen feet wide by 325 feet long, and it takes 

 about two and a half hours to cover the whole grove. The 

 condition of the trees under the shed, so far as our ex- 

 perience goes, is perfectly normal and healthy. The 

 trees untouched by the cold have made an astonishing 

 growth and give fine promise for fruit. Last fall's crop 

 was forty boxes. This year we anticipate a crop of 400 

 to 500 boxes, mostly from the west half. Of course, it is 

 too early to estimate profits from the venture, but we be- 



