WINTER IRRIGATION. 47 1 



der vegetation from early spring frosts. Fruit buds 

 may stand a temperature of twenty-six and come out 

 with a little harm where other conditions are reason- 

 ably favorable. A temperature of twenty-two usually 

 proves fatal. The temperature to drop suddenly to 

 the freezing-point, thirty-two, has not often resulted 

 in much harm. Observation shows that anything 

 which tends to raise the dew point lessens the damage 

 from a freeze. That is, should the dew point be raised 

 to nearly thirty- two or above there will be no harm. 

 An increase of humidity in the atmosphere raises the 

 dew point. Accidental irrigation of vegetable and 

 fruit plants on the afternoon and evening preceding 

 some severe freezes has shown that the plats so irri- 

 gated were protected. Doubtless there is considerable 

 latent heat set free in the cooling of flowing waters 

 and ditches down to the freezing-point. 



At any rate, numerous instances are at hand show- 

 ing that those who spray their vegetables or fruit trees 

 during the night of a spring freeze save their vege- 

 tables and fruits, while unsprayed plants 200 feet away 

 are cut down by frost. Those who happened to be irri- 

 gating plats of melons or other produces the same night 

 found that as far as the water extended, tender vege- 

 tables and fruit plantations were saved. NumerQUS in- 

 stances have fully illustrated this fac^. Others have 

 saved strawberry bloom by maintaining a smudge 

 through a particularly critical night. Ordinarily we 

 have in each spring but one dangerous night, and if by 

 a combination of watering and smudging harm can be 

 averted, the expense is so light and the returns are so 

 marked over negledl that both of these methods seem 



