WINE-MAKING IN CALIFORNIA. 73 



of the journey, when visiting the extensive vineyards of the 

 Duchess Fitzjames. This lady has given much attention to 

 the question of the advantages to be derived from replanting 

 with American vines, and an article contributed by her some 

 twelve months to the Reveu 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 was possible, the 

 energy and intelligence displayed by the Duchess Fitzjames 

 in the reconstitution of her vineyards. Some idea may be 

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

 fully replanted 1,275 acres of vines, and is making arrange- 

 ments for increasing this replanting to the extent of nearly 

 2,000 acres, thereby inspiring the conviction that the mag- 

 nificent vineyards of this district now almost entirely 

 destroyed will be able gradually to be reconstituted 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 better the attacks of phyl- 

 loxera, these lands which formerly had been neglected, and 

 were worth scarcely thirty-two shillings per acre, have now, 

 after having been planted with vines, increased in value to 

 nearly one hundred times that amount. Thus in the sandy 

 soil of Aigues-Mortes the American vines which have been 

 there planted presented a magnificent 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, that they had found in the departments of the 



