THE BURGUNDY WINE DISTRICT. 49 



Other branch is bent to the centre of the row, and two buds are 

 left out of ground. The ridges which existed between the rows 

 become, by this operation, leveled, and the whole vineyard now 

 stands planted, two and a quarter feet apart, with vines. During 

 the summer but one vine is allowed to grow up ; all the other 

 sprouts are rubbed off. 



Many experiments were made by digging up the ground two 

 feet deep, then taking an iron bar, and making a hole, and plant- 

 ing the cutting. This mode succeeded as well as that just de- 

 scribed ; that is, the vines grew and flourished well ; but it was 

 found that, after a certain number of years, the vineyards thus 

 planted yielded but little ; so that this mode is now abandoned, 

 and the old ditching and laying system is now in use. 



When the vines begin bearing, which is the fifth and sixth year, 

 each retains but one stem, which is cut above the ground to three 

 buds. This mode of cutting to three buds is repeated every year ; 

 that is, year after year the wood which possessed the three buds 

 is left, and the new-made wood is cut to three buds. Proceeding 

 thus, in from eight to ten years the vine will be raised to the 

 height of from two to three feet. It becomes, therefore, necessary 

 to bring these vines nearer to the ground, and by this means to 

 renovate and rejuvenate them. This may be done in the follow- 

 ing manner : As soon as the vintner sees that a vine is growing 

 too high, he will, in the month of February or March, dig a ditch 

 a foot deep and six inches wide toward a vacant place, without 

 any reference to the line. The vine now is uncovered from the 

 dirt on all sides, and drawn into this ditch. The hole (or ditch) 

 must be just as long as the old stem of the vine, so that when laid 

 horizontally the old stem will reach the end. The yearling branch 

 at the end of the old stem is then bent up, the ditch filled with 

 manured soil, and the yearling branch cut to three buds above 

 the ground. About one tenth of the vines are annually so laid, 

 consequently every vineyard is renewed once in ten years. By 

 this operation, of course, all lines are destroyed, the vines standing 

 every way like beans sowed broadcast ; but, inasmuch as cultiva- 

 tion is carried on entirely by hand, it creates no inconvenience. 



The vineyards are generally divided into ouvries (land of a 

 day's work). Such an ouvrie is 8645 square feet, in which ten 

 to fifteen vines are to be laid every year by the hired vintner as a 

 part of his regular duty, the payment being included in his wages ; 

 but if it should exceed the above number of vines, he is paid one 



D 



