72 GRAPE CULTURE AND WINE-MAKING. 



days or three years old. The prices are almost the same as those 

 at Eberbach. 



Beyond the first cellar is another, built in the same shape as the 

 first. We did not enter it, as it is only used for fermenting the 

 new wines, and of course it is at present empty. The cellars ex- 

 tend all around the large palace. After we had finished tasting 

 the wines, our host made us empty a couple of glasses to the pros- 

 perity of the vine culture in California. After doing this it was 

 with difficulty that we could leave our courteous host, who insist- 

 ed upon our drinking still more ; but I summoned up virtue to 

 decline, though I am afraid it will be many a long year before such 

 precious nectar will again moisten my lips. The general opinion 

 is that wines will attain their greatest excellence in from five to 

 ten years, and after that they lose mu.ch of their splendid and ac- 

 quired bouquet. 



On leaving the cellar, and presenting the cooper with sixteen 

 thalers, we entered the carriage and drove toward home, passing 

 Biberich, where we left Mr. Victor. "We arrived in Wiesbaden 

 quite late in the night, after having had the honor of tasting the 

 finest wines in Europe, for to my palate there are no finer than the 

 above-named. 



August 27. — This morning Mr. Thoma called, and stated that 

 he had ordered the list of sales for the last three years to be made 

 out. And now he was ready to take me to Geisberg, where the 

 agricultural Experimental Gardens are located. Here there is a 

 vineyard of about 800 kinds of grapes which are tested. The 

 principal care is used in testing the mode of pruning, and raising 

 the vines low or high, setting them in rows or squares, staking 

 them, or training them over wires in trellis form, and the like. 

 Many experiments are made upon the vines. Each row is kept 

 apart, raised, pruned, trimmed separately. The progress of the 

 vine and grape is closely watched by experienced chemists ; the 

 leaves, wood, and grape are chemically analyzed to see what dif- 

 ference is made by the difibrent modes of cultivation. The grapes 

 are gathered on the same day, divided into three classes from each 

 row ; then they are equally tested, from time to time, with the 

 alcomcter. In this way, from year to year, this systematic exper- 

 imenting goes on. I was told that, so far, the low trimming, or, 

 in other words, vines raised just high enough to prevent the 

 grapes from hanging on the ground, is the best mode of raising 

 them. This proves the truth of my experience with regard to 



