In the past, farmers burned tires to keep orange groves warm.
Once upon a time, a contraption called a smudge pot was used to raise the temperature in orange groves in areas such as southern California and Florida. Burning oil or coal, these devices were used for many years. Does this Spark an idea?
Smudge Pots
Several companies manufactured heaters called smudge pots. They were metal containers with a tall chimney. When the temperature dropped to 28 degrees, farmers would venture into their orchards and light these devices to keep the fruit and trees safe from freezing.
Burning Tires
The Mission Inn Museum, in Riverside, Calif., website reports that orange growers also burned old tires to heat their orchards. However, in more recent years, environmental awareness and new laws have ceased this practice.
Protecting Oranges Today
Air pollution is a serious problem in many parts of the United States, so smudge pots have not been used since the 1950s in many places, but some farmers continued to use them until around 1970. In 2010, farmers often turn sprinklers on in their orchards on cold nights. Because running water cannot freeze, as long as the trees are under a fountain of water, they remain safe from the damaging effects of frost.
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