1908.] Colorado Fruit Industry. 521 



had things almost all their own way. The fruit growers a few 

 years ago decided to co-operate, and in every fruit-growing 

 district of any note fruit-growers' associations have been 

 formed, and run on so businesslike a basis that not only does 

 the fruit grower get the highest prices for his productions in 

 consequence of all selling their fruit through these associations, 

 whereby undue competition has been stopped, but the share- 

 holders of such associations, who are the fruit growers them- 

 selves, have been year by year getting very handsome dividends. 

 The most serious thing the fruit grower has to contend with is 

 the spring frosts, which in some years are very destructive. 

 Last year, 1907, these frosts were responsible for the destruc- 

 tion of 50 per cent, of the crop, except in the Palisades district. 

 The prices, however, obtained, more than compensated the 

 grower for his loss. Frosts have again occurred during the 

 present spring which have been more serious than last year 

 and which will reduce the pear crop by at least 50 per cent, 

 and the apple crop by about 75 per cent. There were severe 

 frosts from the 26th to the 28th of April, inclusive, and again 

 on the 2nd and 3rd of May. The worst occurred on the night 

 of the 27th, when the thermometer showed 12 degrees of frost. 

 This meant almost total destruction of the fruit in those 

 orchards where the necessary precautions were not taken. 

 The precautions consist of an endeavour to raise artificially 

 the temperature about the trees, This is done by what is 

 termed smudging.* In a crude manner stable manure is 

 placed in numerous piles throughout the orchard and ignited, 

 and the warm heavy smoke thus formed envelopes the trees, 

 and if the frost is not more than 4 to 5 degrees this is sufficient 

 to save the crop. Should, however, the thermometer sink 

 lower than this it has been found necessary to adopt a different 

 method to secure the desired results. This during the past 

 season has been done on a few occasions by the burning of crude 

 oil. This crude oil comes from the Florence Field in Fremont 

 County, and can be delivered in carload lots at Grand Junction 

 for about 2d. or 2,\d. per gallon. Sheet iron pots are used 

 having a capacity of over a gallon, with a series of perforated 

 holes around their rim, and an adjustable cover which makes 



* An article on " The Prevention of Damage to Fruit by Frost " appeared in this 

 Journal, April, 1907, Vol. xiv, p. 23. 



