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Show INFRA-RED: Frost Killer The day or night of the old fashioned fash-ioned smudge pot as the main buffer buf-fer between plants and killing frost may be nearing an end. Science has taken over to come up with a new kind of fjost killer, development of which was sponsored by the American Iron and Steel institute. in-stitute. THE CONTRAPTION, known as the Plymouth infra-red lamp, is in a fair way to affect materially the nation's agricultural system, the institute in-stitute thinks. Eeporting on the new device, the institute pointed out that while farmers farm-ers will find the lamp invaluable in saving crops during the first touches of frost, the growing season actually actual-ly may be extended as techniques for its use are developed. Dr. Arthur W. Farrell of Michigan Mich-igan State college, one of the men responsible for development of the infra-red machine, cited an exam-, pie: "On September 2, 1946, to take one example, Michigan had a two-hour two-hour killing frost. The next frost did not occur until October 1, a month later. Had tomato and melon growers been able to protect their crops for about two hours on the morning of September 2, they would have had four more weeks of very favorable growing weather. As it was, they lost everything. "THE FROST dispeller, made up of sheet steel and a little ingenuity, will put an end to some of nature's nonsense." The lamp is composed of a circular cir-cular piece of stainless steel, shaped in cone-shaped steps, with an oil burner within the framework. When the burner is put into action, the steel heats until it becomes cherry-red. cherry-red. At this point, infra-red rays are thrown off, spreading over the area to be warmed, even entering the ground in their intensity. |