Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-16
THE CLOUD MAKERS.
How a Frenchman's Smoke Killed
Frost and Saved Wine.

from Bus.
One Of the most successful growers OF
grapes in France today is M. Bignon a
scientist well as an agriculturist who
has lately been explaining to the men,
bers of the French National Society of
Agriculture the methods he adopts for
saving his vineyards from late frosts. M.
Bignon declares that for many years lie
has employed artificial clouds for the
prevention of frosts. and that. had his
example been followed by Others millions
of francs worth of wine might have been
saved.
M. Bignon's vineyard Is not colossal In
proportions--in fact, 1t is under twenty
acres In extent-yet 1t has produced a
greater quantity of grapes during sea =
son than others twice its size 1t is to his
methods of overcoming the devastating
results of late frosts that the proprietor
attributes his great success. The vine
yard is divided into Ave parts. separated
from east to west by walks from twelve
feet to fifteen feet wide and circled by an
avenue of equal width These walks are
made extra wide to facilitate the work Of
placing the fires which generate the
smoke necessary to overcome the frost.
My plan OF operation" says M. Bignon.
rs very simple. Along my walks. at a
distance of some fifty feet apart, 1 have
basins sunk into the earth to depth of
about foot. Into these basins 1 place
matter and some pieces of pine and other
vegetable debris. This makes a cloud of
sufficient size to keep any ordinary frost
from affecting my vines The amount of
material used of course, depends on the
length of the frost
las rule the late frosts are not numer-
Gus. and II we get three or four during
the season we consider ourselves very
badly used. In 1903 the frosts were bad,
and had recourse to these artificial fires
four times with perfect success The
reSinous matter creates a dense cloud,
which hangs over the vines like a curtain
producing a temperature which success
fully keeps at a distance those blighting
frosts so destructive to the young buds.
"'Of course, any substance may be burnt
which gives a thick and abundant smoke
(without SCOTT, such as green herbs,
moss, damp straw, tufts of grass &C.,
though 1 find that the best results are
obtained by using the heavy oils which
are the residues of gas. 1t Is somewhat
Justify the extra cost.
The initial outlay necessary to the
success of the scheme is somewhat ex-
pensive, the basins being strong and well
made; but when once they have been
sunk there's no further cost save Tor fuel.
For a fifteen acre vineyard the cost for
each cloud necessary to kill a frost
should not exceed EGO. and should you be
visited by four such frosts during a sea-
son Ga high average) this would mean an
outlay of something like 1000 francs, or
ESQ But when you consider that the re-
suit will be the saving of at least % per
cent Of the harvest. or. say. from 100 to
200 barrels of wine, the cost is too trifiing
to consider
During the many years I have been
employing smoke as preventive of frost
must have saved at least 1000 barrels
of wine, for never once has my plan
failed to accomplish its obJect-that is to
say, when the smoke cloud has been sent
up in time. AS a rule, when frost comes
the atmosphere is free from all agitation,
and the smoke remains above the vine
ricane or even a moderately strong breeze
accompanied the frost we should have
our trouble for nothing: but fortunately.
this seldom, If ever. happens, and the
smoke-cloud honorably and successfully
performs its duty