94 HORTICULTURE, FORESTRY, FLORICULTURE 



tions 80 per cent of the orchards were equipped. The statement fol- 

 lowing was made by a member of the committee. 



The spring of 1909 was severe, proving to be one of the worst 

 in the history of the State, and had lack of protection been as for- 

 merly, little, if any, fruit would have been shipped from Colorado. 

 As it is, one of the largest crops in the history of the State will be 



gathered, and it is estimated that $4,000,000 was saved by orchard 

 eaters to the fruit interests of the State. 



The experiments of the orchard-heating committee (which tests 

 are a matter of record) showed that the temperature could be raised 

 14 degrees on a still night with 100 pots to the acre. The experi- 

 ments this past spring in time of actual danger fully substantiated 

 the claims made by the committee. 



The last night of April, 1909, the thermometer in the Canyon 

 City district fell to 17 above zero. The orchardists with oil heaters 

 kept the temperature up to 28 or 30 degrees, or what they considered 

 the safety point. On the preceding night there was a terrible bliz- 

 zard; the wind blew a gale and there was over 8 inches of snow, 

 which kept the oil from burning as freely as it otherwise would, but 

 in spite of these awful conditions the temperature was raised from 

 21 degrees, where it remained for over five hours, up to the safety 

 point. 



As an experiment several acres were left unprotected by heaters, 

 heating the balance of the orchard. There is a banner crop on the 

 heated orchard, probably more than 15,000 boxes ; while on the sev- 

 eral acres not heated, on which are 100 trees 10 years old in full bear- 

 ing of late winter varieties, there will not be a box of apples. One 

 who has never realized the relief of saving the crop can not under- 

 stand the feeling. In times past Colorado growers have gone to bed 

 knowing they would be practically ruined before morning should 

 break, and feeling absolutely helpless to do anything to protect 

 themselves. This year the aspect is very different; the towns and 

 surrounding country were perfect beehives of activity, and as soon 

 as the danger signal sounded thousands of volunteers hurried to help 

 the orchard men, and for hours the battle waged, never slacking 

 until the great foe was vanquished. 



In this orchard district of Colorado an exceptionally large crop 

 of fruit was marketed from the orchards where the heaters were used. 

 The same experiment has also been tried in New Mexico, where re- 

 sults were equally successful. One man reports a case in the Pecos 

 Valley where 2,600 oil burning heaters of 1-gallon capacity were used 

 on a 30-acre orchard with the result that a full crop of fruit was saved 

 and sold for $26,000, while in the rest of the valley the apple crop 

 was almost a complete failure. Successful frost fighting is compara- 

 tively new. It is necessary to have a force of men, industrious, care- 

 ful, painstaking, and observing to the last degree. Unless the work 

 is properly done it had better not be done at all. As stated, the worst 

 damage may be expected in April or during the blossoming period 

 and tne time when the fruit has set. Any temperature lower than 

 28 F. is likely to destroy a crop. The margin, in degrees, between 



