194 AGRICULTUKE OS THE EHIXE. 



economical nature than derived fi-om anything ornamental 

 they present. Their value is best appreciated in the cellar, 

 ■which, like tlie whole estate, is managed with almost 

 military precision. Prince Metternich's cellar at Johan- 

 nisberg, and that of the Duke of Nassau at Eberbach, of 

 which we shall presently speak, are most useful establish- 

 ments, serving as models for the country, with the es- 

 pecial advantage of being most economically and profitably 

 conducted. Every experiment that promises to be an 

 improvement is sure to be tried, and the result is made 

 known with the greatest liberality. Both establishments 

 have long been under the direction of excellent adminis- 

 trators, whose services are proved by the fact that none 

 of all the competitors in the same line have been able to 

 produce wine at all equal to the choice vintages of Johan- 

 nisberg and of the ducal estates. That the excellence of 

 the wine where soil and situation are nearly equal is de- 

 cided by the treatment in the cellar, is proved by the 

 care taken to preserve unvarying method and unrelaxing 

 diligence in all the processes. The cellar at Johannis- 

 berg occupies the basement story of the whole building, 

 and consequently consists of a front equal to that of the 

 castle and two exter.sive wings. The entrance is on the 

 western side, by a spacious staircase into the wing that 

 forms the bottling department. A considerable store of 

 bottles and packing-cases in all stages, filling, applying 

 the etiquettes, winding paper and straw round each, and 

 packing in the cases, first attracts attention ; especially as 

 the packers, to show their skill, make no scruple of jump- 

 ing on the open cases and pressing the bottles down with 

 all their weight. The cellar itself is a more imposing 

 object, presenting a long vista of double pipes, ranged 



