1839] 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



197 



France is not quite 53,000,000 hectares, the un- 

 cultivated lands amounting to nearl}' one-eighth 

 of the whole. More than one-thiriieth part of 

 France, including the waste lands, is cultivated in 

 vineyards : this is equivalent to about a seventh 

 part of England. If the counties of Bedlbrd, 

 Buckingham, Berks, Hertford, Huntingdon, Mid- 

 dlesex, Oxford, Rutland, Surrey, Westmoreland, 

 and Worcester, were entirel}^ covered with vine- 

 yards, the vineyards of France would exceed them 

 in extent by 375 square miles. The distance from 

 London to York is 196 miles ; and if the land on 

 each side of the road produced vines, instead of 

 grain and food for cattle, each side of the road to 

 the extent of above sixteen miles must be appro- 

 priated to this purpose in order to equal the 

 breadth of land in France which is devoted to the 

 vine ; or, in other word?, a tract of country near- 

 ly 200 miles long and 33 broad. 



M. Cavoleau estimated the value of the annual 

 produce of the vineyards at 21,615,572/.; the 

 Statistical Society at 28,040,000/, and in 17SS at 

 only 14,260,000/. 



M. Cavoleau is of opinion that the quantity of 

 wine produced in a year is 812,808,040 gallons, or 

 about 200 gallons an acre. The estimate of the 

 Statistical Society is 998,932.900 gallons, worth on 

 an average 6^f/. per gallon ; and the production of 

 1788 is estimated at about 610,750,000 gallons. 



The wine-growers are supposed to be 1,800,000 

 in number. 



A commission which was instituted a few years 

 ago to examine into the operation of the tax on 

 wine, which amounts to about 2,900,000/. per 

 annum, assumed the total produce to be 924,020,- 

 000 gallons, and calculated by approximation the 

 manner in which it was disposed of They esti- 

 mated that there was — 



Gallons. 



Consumed by the proprietors, not 



being subject to the duty - - 198,000,000 

 Employed in the manufacture of 



brandy 141,680,000 



Loss and waste among the growers 91,344,000 

 Loss in conveyance, and in the 



hands of dealers - - - 44,000,000 



Exported 24,530,000 



For the manufacture of vinegar - 11,000,000 

 Duty recovered on consumption is 308,000,000 

 And the fraudulent consumption is 105,466,000 

 The loss by evaporation was calculated at 12 per 

 cent, per annum on the small, and 5 per cent, on 

 the large casks. 



The total average export of wine is about 22,- 

 000,000 gallons, ol" an average value of nearly 

 2,000,000/. 



The district in which the production of wine is 

 carried on to the largest extent, and where the 

 cultivation of the vine is the most advanced, and 

 the qualities of the wine of the highest order, is 

 the department of the Gironde. The superficies 

 of the Gironde is 2,500,000 acres, and the extent 

 of vineyards is equal to 350,000 English acres. 

 The average produce is between 50,000,000 and 

 60,000,000 gallons, five-eighths of which are red, 

 and three-eighths white wine, the whole, or nearly 

 so, being suited to foreign demand. In very fa- 

 vorable years the production will amount to 75,- 

 000,000 gallons. 



The value of vineyard property varies very 

 much. The Monton estate, congisting of 135 



acres, was sold in 1830 at the rate of 356/. per 

 acre : this i^: the highest price ever paid. The es- 

 tate of Lafilte, consisting of 262 acres, was sold in 

 1803 at the rate of 183/. 4s. per acre. Both 

 these estates are situate in the Medoc district. 

 About 5154 acres of Medoc wine estates have 

 been sold in the present century ; the average 

 amount obtained was 64/. per acre. The de- 

 mand fi'om England lor the fine Medoc wii'es haa 

 raised the value of the land which produces them. 



The difi'erence in the value of wine of the same 

 vineyard varies exceedingly Irom one year to ano- 

 ther, according to the season being favorable or 

 unfavorable. The produce of Lafitte, Latour, and 

 Chateau JMargaux, which are the most esteemed 

 vineyards, has been as low as 41. a hogshead in a 

 bad year. On the other hand, it has, under difier- 

 enr circumstances, been as hish as 30/. 



The condition of the population employed in 

 vineyards is an interesting subject of inquiry. A 

 communication addressed to Dr. Bowring by the 

 members of the chamber of commerce at Rheims 

 afibrds some information on this point, which we 

 subjoin : — In the arrondissement of Rheims the 

 number of vine-proprietors is 11,903. This large 

 number of owners is owing to the division of pro- 

 perty; divisions so much the more multiplied, as 

 there is not a single vine-dresser working at piece- 

 work who does not rent some plot of vineyard, 

 and thus the number of separate holders of vine- 

 yards is from 22,000 lo 23,000. The small labor- 

 ing proprietors are generally burdened with fami- 

 lies, and not well ofi'. They ibrm in society 

 an interesting and very laborious class, making 

 the best appearance they can by severe economy. 

 As soon as there is a promise of a good harvest, 

 they purchase some vineyard-ground, often with- 

 out prudence, and beyond their means. After- 

 wards, if bad years come on, they borrow to free 

 themselves. If, in order that they may not mort- 

 gage their little property, they have recourse to 

 usurers, they sign and renew bills on very disad- 

 vantageous terms. If they borrow on mortgage, 

 the rate ol' interest is nominally 5 per cent, to the 

 profit of the lender, but in reality from 6 to 7 per 

 cent, at the cost of the borrower, on account of the 

 expenses of the transaction. 



In the district where the Macon and Beaujolais 

 wines are produced, the receiver-general of the 

 department of the Rhone gave Dr. Bowring the 

 following account of the condition o!" the popula- 

 tion whose interests are connected with the vine- 

 yards: — "Each hectare of vines (nearly 2^ acres) 

 represents a capital of from 5000 to 6000 francs 

 (200/. to 240/.) on an average. The expense of 

 cultivation may be estimated, every thing in- 

 cluded, at about 200 francs (8/.) the hectare. 

 The labor of each vigneron (vine-dresser) com- 

 prises nearly two hectares, and occupies a whole 

 family. The cultivation of the vine is carried on 

 by an equal division of the produce between the 

 proprietors and the cultivators; the latter are, in- 

 deed, a species ol' participating colonists termed 

 vignerons. This method, by establishing a com- 

 munity of interest between the proprietor and the 

 laborer, tends to render their relations intimate and 

 paternal. It attaches the cultivator to the ground, 

 equally with the proprietor himsellj and in some 

 respects removes him from the class of dependent 

 workmen. This class, in general, is not unpros- 

 perous : all those who have habits of labor and 



