110 The Principles of Fruit-growing. 
atmosphere is a matter of great importance. I 
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. Harly 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. I 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. 
