110 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 



atmosphere is a matter of great importance. 1 

 once read in a newspaper of the experience of a 

 farmer who feared a frost on his growing corn, 

 and who cultivated the field, stirring up a moister 

 soil, and thus promoting evaporation, with this 

 result, a heavy dew and a rescued crop, while 

 neighboring fields of corn were cut by frost. 



"Ten years ago some beautiful beds of coleus 

 were near my house. Early in October there were 

 threatenings of frost. Every evening the beds were 

 thoroughly wet down with cold water, and the 

 tender coleus plants escaped frost while other plants 

 near by were killed. At this time I found my 

 neighbor one evening putting blankets over his 

 grape vine to save the fruit from frost. T advised 

 him to take away his woolen blankets and put on 

 the water blanket by a thorough drenching with 

 water. This was done and the grapes were saved. 



"This use of water to guard tender plants from 

 frost has frequently been used at the College, and 

 generally with good results. Strawberries and 

 grapes in blossom may be saved in this way and 

 with little trouble, if a good supply of water 

 and a sprinkling hose are available. The quick- 

 witted farmer or gardener will find many ways of 

 using water for this purpose. With irrigation, we 

 might defy frost during the growing season." 



A systematic plan for evaporating water in 

 orange groves in California, in frosty weather, has 

 been proposed by Finkle.* It is estimated that 



* California Fruit-grower, Feb. 8 and 29, 1896. 



