100 GR^VPE CULTUEE AifD WINE-MAKING. 



Frontignan. — The vines are here much loaded. This is the 

 place where the famous Frontignan wine is made. There are two 

 varieties of grapes in the vicinity, the red Muscat and the white 

 Muscat, of which the latter is the most in cultivation. The vine- 

 yards generally give ten per cent, on the value of the land. An 

 acre is estimated at from fifteen to twenty thousand francs. 



Cette. — Here we changed cars, the ones we were in going to 

 Perpignan. The railroad runs through shoals of the sea from 

 Frontignan to Cette. Every where that a foot of ground can be 

 redeemed from them, it is done, and the spot is planted with vines ; 

 these, all along the sea-coast, were doing excellently. Cette is the 

 great manufacturing place for spurious wines, millions of gallons 

 of imitations being here made, of every brand in existence, and 

 sold to all parts of the world, a few drops of the genuine being 

 used to give the taste of the different qualities. So perfect are 

 some of these imitations, that it is with difficulty you can distin- 

 guish the S23urious wines from the genuine. The country around 

 being flat and the soil sandy, the wine is very poor, and, as the 

 vines yield largely, the wine is almost as cheap as water. The 

 manufacturers buy up these wines, and, by their chemical prepa- 

 rations, fix them up, and sell them, mostly to the American mar- 

 ket, for good prices. Such are the wines we drink as Chateau 

 Margaux, Lafitte, Chambertin, etc., etc. 



Adge. — The vines were planted still nearer the shore, and were 

 looking well. 



Narbonne. — Here we breakfasted. The whole country is one 

 wide plain, and planted with vines. The soil is of a grayish color. 



Capcndu. — The country reaching up to this place varies from a 

 plain to rolling ground, and has on all sides vineyards. Now and 

 then may be seen some olive and almond trees raised in hedges. 



Carcassonne. — Some of the land is planted with grain ; the prin- 

 cipal part of it is still planted with vines, however. There are 

 hundreds of acres which have been turned into vineyards since 

 the last twenty -five years. It seems to pay better than any thing 

 else, as there is an extreme demand for common wines, which are 

 used to correct other wines wanting color, strength, or body. 



Rames. — The vineyards diminish and almost disappear. Wheat 

 is the principal product. The plowing is done by oxen. 



Castelaundrey. — The land is cultivated with grain, and appears 

 pretty rich. There is a great quantity of Indian corn raised. It 

 is topped to the corn-ears. 



