808 FRUIT CULTURE IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



But it is especially vegetable and auiinal parasites that have for a 

 loiiger or shorter time back threatened the harvests. Of late years 

 an infinitesimal mushroom, the Oidium tuckeri (vine mildew), has ap- 

 peared very frequently, not only on trellised vines, but even in the 

 vineyards. Flowers of sulphur is an undoubted antidote ; but notwith- 

 standing its efficacy it has not yet been generally adopted by vine- 

 growers. Frequently, too, the leaves of the vine suffer from the incur- 

 sion of another fungous or asexual plant, Erineum necator, but the dam- 

 age done by it is of small importance. 



Animal destroyers belong chiefly to the insect order. Every year 

 the different districts suffer from the devastations of several kinds of 

 Coleoptera. In the early spring the shoots suffer from the incisions of 

 the Culs-crottes or Coupe-bourgeons (OliorUynclius ligmtici, 0. raucus). 

 Later on the Oribouri (a vine-grub) or Ecrivain, scribe (Bromiris vitis), 

 comes out and bites the leaves and buds, and lays its eggs on the stem 

 of the vine. Lastly, in June and July, appears the Beclie, grafter, and 

 Lisette, vine fretter (JRhynchites betuleti), which rob the plants of their 

 leaves. 



Among the Lepidoptera there are two which are especially obnoxious : 

 The vintage- worm (Cocliylis omphaciella) breeds twice a year, and de- 

 stroys the fruit both in spring and in autumn. The summer worm 

 (Olnophthirapilleriana) has taken up its abode (as is testified by many 

 old records) for a long time past in two localities especially. It com- 

 mits its depredations at various intervals of time, but always for several 

 years at a time. Its scene of operations is the locality of the best vines 

 half-way up the hill between Ay and Dizy. Its second rendezvous is 

 at Yerzenay, in the best vineyards, also situated about half-way up the 

 slope. 



Every year the champagne vines, more or less the victims of these 

 accidents, yield, as a rule, a rather poor crop ; in fact, in spite of the 

 careful attention and care of the vine-grower, an acre rarely yields 

 more than 3 or 4 measures (6 or 8 hogsheads), of 2 hectoliters, i. e., 

 about 6 or 8 measures to the hectare of prepared wine. To this calcula- 

 tion of yield we must add about two-thirds as much again for secondary 

 wines, known under the names of first "taille" (pruning), second "taille," 

 and " rebeche" (second tilling). With the exception of the first * taille," 

 which is sometimes used in the preparation of sparkling wines, these 

 wines are consumed by the proprietor and his vine-dressers. 



At Ay, which may properly be chosen as the center and type of the 

 true production of champagne, unbottled wine is worth in an average 

 year from 600 to 800 francs a measure of 2 hectoliters, and the price is 

 about the same for the not less famous vintages of Cramant and Verze- 

 nay. One year with another, then, the vine-growers receive a sum of 

 about 1,800 francs ($300) per acre, that is, by reckoning the minimum 

 price of 600 francs and the production at three " pieces" per acre j but 

 they have been obliged to spend from 1,000 to 1,200 francs during the 



