VINE IN ITALY. 105 



Most of us are probably aware, that among 

 our South American neighbours, the cultivation 

 of the vine, until lately, received but little atten- 

 tion. Spain, in her jealous regard for the inter- 

 ests of her home dominions, reserved to herself 

 the supply of her colonial subjects, and the vine, 

 as I understand, was discouraged by the ruling 

 powers. The fashion of the times, however, 

 passeth away. South America has changed 

 masters, and the change has introduced to the 

 country a new cultivation. The vine has within 

 a few years received the attention of the agricul- 

 turalist, and the patronage of government, and 

 begins already to constitute an important feature 

 of their agriculture. It may not be foreign to 

 our subject to consider the progress of vine grow- 

 ing in that country. It was m'y fortune at Paris 

 in 1833, to meet at that court, the representatives 

 of Chili and Mexico, from both of whom I re- 

 ceived the most favourable details of the culture 

 of the two countries. It appears that in Chili, 

 the vine produced a full crop in the seventh year, 

 though the vineyard ripened its fruit to a small 

 extent before that period. The wines of Chili, 

 are the Sherry of Spain, and the Bordeaux and 

 Burgundy of France. Those of Mexico, where 

 the cultivation is even better than that of Chili, 

 are the Sherry also, of Spain, and the Burgundy. 

 The most sanguine anticipations are entertained 

 in Mexico of this culture, and as the full capabi- 

 lities of the soil are not developed, they are elicit- 

 ing every season new facts, and suggesting im- 

 portant theories, and confidently believe that but 

 ew years will elapse before they shall add a 



