Inclement Weather, Diseases, Etc. 285 



face of ground that is, may contain thirteen and a half 

 cubic yards, instead of fifty-four. They will consequently 

 cost only about $6.50, with interest at five per cent. 

 As they last about twenty years, this will be $0.32 

 yearly, per acre. 



The process of laying down and removing these 

 cloths will be the same as for the mats, and they are to 

 be fastened on the wires in the same way. They should 

 also be laid down and removed twice every year, but 

 as these cloths are more easily transported than the 

 mats, there will be needed only twenty days' labor, in- 

 stead of twenty-four, which, at $0.50 per day, will give 

 an expenditure of $10.50 per acre, including interest at 

 five per cent. 



The use of these cloths will therefore give rise to 

 the following yearly expenditure per acre: 



Cloths $ 9 70 



Sheds, for storing the cloths ~ o 3* 



Manual labor 10 50 



Total $zo 53 



From what precedes, we see that the use of cloths as 

 shelters, instead of mats, would be a saving of $13.50 

 per acre, yearly, at the same time giving results quite 

 as satisfactory. Moreover, the drawback arising from 

 the weight of the mats when they are wet, or covered 

 with snow, would be avoided. Lastly, the much more 

 moderate cost of this system of shelter would make its 

 use practicable in vineyards where the use of mats 

 would yield no profit the vineyards of Champagne, 

 for instance. For these reasons, we think that cloths 

 might be profitably substituted for mats. 



