274 AMERICAN GRAPE GROWING 



tributed by her some twelve months ago to the Revue des 

 deux Mondes, on the subject of American vines, may be 

 said to have contained, at that time, all the information 

 to be obtained in regard to the same. Speaking of this 

 property, M. Lalande says: ' We have much admired here 

 the American vines principally the Lenoir cultivated 

 with a view to direct production, as also the American 

 vines grafted with French varieties. We have, however, 

 still more admired, if this were possible, the energy and 

 intelligence displayed by the Duchess Fitz James in the 

 reconstitution of her vineyards. Some idea may be 

 formed of this when we state that she has already suc- 

 cessfully replanted one thousand two hundred and sev- 

 enty-five acres of vines, and is making arrangements for 

 increasing this replanting to the extent of nearly two 

 thousand acres, thereby inspiring the conviction that the 

 magnificent vineyards of this district now almost en- 

 tirely destroyed will be able gradually to be reconsti- 

 tuted by means of American vines.' 



" One other curious piece of information resulted from 

 this visit. It appears that, it having been found that 

 vines planted in sandy soils resisted the attacks of phyllox- 

 era better, these lands, which formerly had been neg- 

 lected, and were worth scarcely thirty-two shillings per acre, 

 have now, after they have been planted with vines, in- 

 creased in value to nearly one hundred times that amount. 

 Thus in the sandy soil of Aigues-Mortes, the American 

 vines which have been planted there presented a magnifi- 

 cent appearance with an abundant show of fruit. 



" From all the information obtained during their visit, 

 M. Lalande and his fellow-travellers state as the result 

 of their experience, they found in the departments of the 

 Herault and the Gard, that the preference was given by 

 the vine-growers, almost exclusively, to two kinds of 

 American vines the Lenoir and the Eiparia, although 

 some other varieties, such as the Clinton, the Solonis, 



