44 



FOREIGN NOTICES. 



the years 1S15 and 183S, it was found to destroy to 

 the vahio of 922,000 /rancs, and in the Eastern Py- 

 renees the average annual waste which it occasions 

 is reckoned to be not less than 14,000 hectolitres. 

 Such being the case, it became an object of impor- 

 tance to discover the means of protecting the Vines 

 from these destructive attacks ; and in the year 

 1837, a distinguished entomologist (M. Audouin) 

 was commissioned by the government to investi- 

 gate the subject. He examined the insect in all its 

 phases and transformations, and, after trying with- 

 out success to extirpate it by caustic and poisonous 

 applications, recommended collecting and desti'oy- 

 ing the eggs before the development of the cater- 

 pillars, which takes place in the beginning of Au- 

 gust. This method, however, is too troublesome 

 to bo generally employed ; and the same may be 

 said of the plan of covering each stock v.'ith an 

 empty cask, and fumigating with sulphur. Corro- 

 sive washes, and the application of glutinous sub- 

 stances to the bark, proved of little avail, as the in- 

 sect commences its devastations in the form of a 

 minute caterpillar, which has the power of sus- 

 pending itself by a slender thread from the edges of 

 the leaves, and of thus transporting itself from one 

 leaf to another; and the dusting of the buds with 

 quick-lime and arsenic, which was recommended by 

 some, only killed the leaves, and therefore did more 

 harm than good. None ol these measures being- 

 found efficacious, a wine-grower of Romaneche, M. 

 Raclet, bethought himself of the expedient of as- 

 sailing the insect in the form of chrysalid in the fis- 

 sures of the bark where it lodges, during the winter 

 months, by pouring boiling water over the stocks, 

 and the experiment was attended with perfect suc- 

 cess. For this purpose, Mr. R. employed a vessel 

 of tinned iron, with a small spout, holding a litre, 

 or full quart, and covered with list or cloth ; and, 

 having filled it with boiling-water, he emptied the 

 contents over the stocks, beginning at the top, and 

 avoiding the young shoots and buds. By this pro- 

 cess the vitality of the chrysalid is destroj'ed, and 

 that without injury to the plant. A deputation from 

 the Agricultural Society of Macon, to whom M. 

 Raclet had communicated his invention, was sent 

 to verify the results, and certified, that by the above 

 (♦escribed operation the insects were killed ; and 

 that the Vines which had been so treated were 

 more vigorous, and yielded a larger produce than 

 those in the neighborhood, where the insects had 

 been allowed to remain undisturbed. Twelve hun- 

 dred stocks, covering eight ares, or a fifth of an 

 English acre, gave three hectolitres of wine, while 

 the produce of six hectares, or nearly fifteen Eng- 

 lish acres of contiguous vineyard, was only twelve 

 hectolitres. M. Raclet calculates that three per- 

 sons may go over with the hot water, sixteen ares, 

 or about 2,400 stocks in the course of a day. 



French Wine Making. — The gentleman to 

 whom I brought the letter was not himself a pro- 

 prietor of vineyards at Hermitage, but was request- 

 ed to introduce me to some person having a vine- 

 yard there. On waiting upon him this morning, I 

 found a letter prepared for me, addressed to Messrs. 

 Richard and Sons, who are eminent wine merchants 



and bankers in Tournon, a town on tlie opposite 

 side of the Rhone to Tain, and joined to it by a 

 suspension bridge. On receiving this letter, I hired 

 a vehicle to carry myself and my baggage to Tain, 

 which is a small town, situated on the left bank of 

 the Rhone, on the plain which lies immediately be- 

 tween the hill called Hermitage and the river. On 

 presenting my letter, and explaining in general 

 terms the object of my visit, I entered into conver- 

 sation with Mr. Richard, senior, relative to the 

 wines of Hermitage. The greatest part of the finest 

 growth is sent to Bourdeaux to mix with the first 

 growths of claret. Messrs. Richard are themselves 

 proprietors of part of the hill of Hermitage, but not 

 of that part which yields the finest wines. They 

 are also wine merchants ; but like the Messrs. Du- 

 rand, of Perpignan, they sell it only on the grand 

 scale. One of the sons, who manages this depart- 

 ment, conducted me over the cellars. The press is 

 more complete than any I have ever seen ; the 

 screw is of iron, and from the closeness of the 

 worm, must be of immense power. It is raised in 

 the centre of a square trough, about seven feet in 

 diameter. The female screw is covered by a hori- 

 zontal wooden wheel, the spokes of which project 

 over the sides of the trough, and are finislied off so 

 as to afford a convenient handle for the workmen. 

 At the height of a foot from the bottom of the 

 trough, on the outside, there is a circular stage 

 projecting from its sides for the workmen when 

 filling the press, and turning the wheel. The sides 

 of the trough only rise to the height of this stage. 

 The grapes, without any previous treading, are 

 built up in the trough to the height of the screw, 

 and when the latter is turned, the viust* flows from 

 spouts which issue from the bottom of the trough at 

 each side. When the sides of the mass which may 

 have been pressed out so far as to escape from the 

 action of the press, have been cut off with an instru- 

 ment resembling a hay-knife, and the press has been 

 raised so as to receive this additional quantit\', and 

 again put in operation, the process is complete ; 

 not a drop oi mvst remains in the marc, as the mass 

 of skins and stalks is called. The marc is disposed 

 of, and employed to produce a bad brandy ; for this 

 purpose it is soaked in water to extract any sac- 

 charine matter which may remain, and the fluid 

 which it yields, when again pressed, is fermented 

 and distilled. To my astonisment, Mr. Richard 

 informed me, that Ijy one charge of this press they 

 could obtain 40 casks of wine of about 50 gallons 

 each. As the must flows from the press, it is con- 

 veyed to the casks, where it is suffered to ferment 

 from five days to a month, according to the strength 

 of fermentation, the casks being always kept full 

 to permit the scum to escape. When the first fer- 

 mentation is decidedly finished, the wine is drawn 

 off into a clean cask, which has been previously 

 sulphured. This is the whole process of making 

 the white wines of Hermitage. They are more or 

 less sweet according to the proportions of sweet 

 and dry grapes which have been united in producing" 

 them, for they are all made from two varieties, the 

 Marsan, yielding a mJist which by itself, would give 



* Fresh unfermented grape juice. 



