24 INTRODUCTION. 



the proprietor of the ancient vineyard must of 

 necessity break up his vine grounds, and eradi- 

 cate his plants, commencing de novo, a cultiva- 

 tion costing an immediate heavy outlay, and the 

 sacrifice of eight or ten years of present produc- 

 tive revenue. Such considerations check the 

 spirit of improvement, and tend strongly to af- 

 fix on Burgundy the appearance of a slothful 

 and negligent agriculture, foreign to the character 

 of the department, an impression which will 

 probably continue, as the vine has been so long 

 established in the country, and may be said to be 

 immortal, the life of the plant, under judicious 

 management, being interminable. 



On a superficial view of the vine grounds, it 

 appears that their cultivation has for its object, 

 the quantity rather than the quality of the pro- 

 duct, as in most of the plantations of forty or fif- 

 ty years growth, and of such, much of that wine 

 district is composed, the vines are crowded to- 

 gether in such a confused mass, as to neutralize 

 the advantages derived from a judicious exposure, 

 so favourably conducive to a ripening of the 

 fruit. To this disadvantage may be added, the 

 actual injury inflicted on the young and tender 

 branches, during the periods of weeding, an ope- 

 ration necessary three or four times in the season, 

 as belonging to the system of vine dressing, and 

 forming a feature of thrifty agriculture, not to be 

 disregarded by the prudent vine grower, who 

 performs at the same time the twofold operation 

 of ridding his plants of a superfluous vegetation, 

 and collecting the bountiful tribute which the 

 luxuriant growth of the vine returns to the com- 



