On every cold night in winter, the grower must be ready with his orchard heaters. The heaters in commonest use are oil-burning stack pots, which are placed between the tree rows, one to a tree. With the broadcast of a frost warning, the watchman in charge of an orchard stays up all night, keeping crews ready to light the heaters with gasoline torches resembling an engineer’s long-spouted oil can. The burners must be watched and regulated at intervals. Where the smudge pot heating method is used, a thick blanket of black smoke produced by the fuel protects the trees from frost. Threat of frost is greatest about an hour before sunrise. During a cold period, everything within miles—clothing, furniture, faces—is covered with the greasy soot.
More information at the History of Glendora blog.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Orchard Smudge Pots
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2 comments:
Great link, I love learning something new from history. I'd love to see people's reactions to the smudge pots today. Where I live, lots of people heat their homes with wood. The smoke drives my allergies nuts.
Loved imaging being in an orchard full of them waist high. I bet it was amazing to see (but not to breathe). I wonder if these guys had a nickname, like lighthouse keepers who were called Wickies.
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