116 The Principles of Fruit -groiving. 



which the pitch has been taken. About four -fifths 

 of a quart is placed in a flat iron -ware dish. Ten 

 of these will protect a vineyard of one hundred 

 acres; twenty, one of four hundred acres. The dishes 

 are to be set closer together at the two ends of 

 the line than in the middle, and a supply of oil 

 must be held ready in reserve in case that, on ac- 

 count of wind or of great clearness at sunrise, 

 another firing should be found necessary.' 



"M. Lestout, of Bordeaux, has an invention, as 

 described in his pamphlet, as follows: 'It consists 

 of little cubical boxes, twenty centimeters (a little 

 less than eight inches) square, weighing seven kilos 

 (fifteen pounds four ounces), and costing about 

 seventy -five centimes (fifteen cents) apiece. These are 

 placed around the field to be protected at a distance 

 of ten meters (thirty -two feet ten inches) apart, and 

 are easily ignited from a torch. The fire emits a 

 black smoke, which can be rendered more dense by 

 pouring water upon the smudges. After awhile, the 

 columns of smoke fuse into a thick cloud, which 

 settles upon the field, and elevates the temperature by 

 two or three degrees. The fires can be instantly put 

 out by an extinguisher.' M. Lestout declares that 

 three hundred smudges, costing two hundred and 

 twenty-five francs (forty-five dollars), will protect a 

 vineyard three tnousand meters square i. e., one 

 containing nine hundred hectares (about two thou- 

 sand two hundred acres) namely, at a cost of 

 twenty -five centimes (five cents) per two and one- 

 half acres. 



