36 



SOIL, 



When the weather becomes cold in the first days of October, 

 it often happens in the climate of Paris that the grape ceases 

 to ripen, and the berries rot in succession; and the wine made 

 from such grapes is deficient in strength, and of short durability. 



Soil 



The vine will grow in every species of soil, but its produc- 

 tions are all modified according to the nature of that in which 

 it is cultivated. There is a manner of cultivating it, founded 

 upon its natural properties, which is essentially beneficial, and 

 which, without being prejudicial to its duration, causes it to 

 yield constant crops, and imparts perfect maturity to the fruit, 

 It cannot be doubted that the earth, according to its nature, 

 modifies after a different manner the alimentary principles of 

 plants, and also, that it will have in itself a decided influence 

 upon the quality of wines ; but this advantage will be so much 

 the more sensibly felt, according as the soil by its nature may 

 possess more influence upon the maturity and perfection of the 

 grapes. 



If we were to form our judgment of the quality of the wine, 

 by the vigour of vegetation, it would be to the soils that are 

 rich,humid, and highly manured, that we should confide the vine 

 culture. But experience has taught us, that scarcely ever is 

 the goodness of the wine in proportion to the growth of the 

 plants. It might be said that nature^ ever careful in the 

 distribution and appropriation of each description of soil to a 

 particular species of product, reserved the dry and light soils 

 for the vine, and assigned the culture of grain to those which 

 are rich and strong. 



Hie segetes, illic veniunt felicius uva. It is by a link of this 

 admirable distribution, that agriculture covers with varied pro- 

 ductions the surface of our plaint ; and it is only incumbent on 

 us not to interrupt the natural order, and to apply to each 

 locality the culture that is most suitable to it, in order to obtain 

 in almost every situation both abundant and varied crops. For 

 although the vine accommodates itself in, fact to every species 



