Drought and Prickly Pears

Special to The Record The first time I saw a pear burner was when I was a young lad during the drought of the 1950s. The burner consisted of a pump-up kerosene tank and a long hose. On the tip of the hose was a fan nozzle surrounded by a shroud of metal with holes. From the tip of the hose, a ball of fire exploded toward a patch of prickly pears. The man operating this contraption was in his…