96 ^ Busby's Journal of a recent Visit 



it in our first volume, and need here only remind our readers 

 that it consists in entirely burying the plants, except the points 

 of their shoots, at various periods, from three to fifteen years. 

 By this means, a plant at one end of a vineyard may ultimately 

 reach, under ground, to the other end. The underground 

 shoots do not decay for many years, and may sometimes be 

 found nearly 100 ft. in length. The object seems to be to get 

 young bearing wood, without ever missing a crop, which would 

 be the case, if the plants were raised either from cuttings inserted 

 where they were to remain, or from detached rooted plants. 

 As the trenches in which the plants are laid are generally made 

 as deep as the soil will permit, a great part of the benefit is pro- 

 bably a consequence of this thorough stirring of the soil. The 

 following is Mr. Busby's account of this practice : — 



" By dint of frequent observations and repeated questions, I conceive that 

 I at last perfectly undei'stand the system oi' provignage. To make it plain, 

 suppose a small portion of ground to be annually planted with vines. At the 

 end of ten or a dozen years, a number of the plants, in the portion first 

 planted, become weak and worn out. These weak plants are removed, and 

 their places filled by provins from their stronger neighbours ; but these pro- 

 vins are not mere layers which leave the stock exactly as before. The whole 

 space of ground, generally the breadth of two rows of plants, is dug out to 

 the depth of about 2 ft. ; the old stock is then laid flat down in the bottom of 

 the trench, and the branches, that is, the wood last produced, are twisted and 

 bent into the places where the voids are to be filled. The stock is thus con- 

 verted into the root of two or three different plants : it throws out fibres fi orn 

 every side, which henceforth yield the nourishment to the plants, and the old 

 rootdies off. I observed some spots where all the plants had been too weak ; 

 and a colony of young plants, as it was called, had been introduced, which 

 would be employed in peopling their neighbourhood when they had acquired 

 sufficient strength. The provignage extends irregularly over the whole vine- 

 yard ; but most, or all, of the plants are thus buried, and renewed once in 

 twelve or fourteen years ; and thus the whole is in a constant state of bearing 

 (the provins yielding a crop the first year), and it is seldom necessary to 

 introduce young vines^" 



Mr. Busby's concluding observations are highly valuable : — 



" Having recorded with so much minuteness my observations on every 

 vineyard and district through which I passed, I will avoid adding to the length 

 of this journal by offering many general remarks. I cannot, however, refrain 

 from observing, that, from the albarizas of Xeres, the most southern vineyards 

 of any reputation in Europe, to those of the chalky hills of Champagne, 

 amongst the most northern, I met with no vineyard producing dry wines of 

 reputation which was not more or less calcareous. Although it is acknow- 

 ledged that two thirds of the vineyards of France are situated upon soil more 

 or less calcareous, by Chaptal, and other writers upon the subject, they have 

 stated that, provided the soil is porous, free, and light, its component parts 

 are of little consequence; and they enumerate granitic, schistose, argillaceous, 

 flinty, sandy, and calcareous soils as equally well qualified to produce, and 

 as actually producing, in different parts of France, wines of the finest quality. 

 It appears evident to me, however, that these writers have, in many instances, 

 been misled by the representations which have been transmitted to them : as, 

 for instance, when Chaptal and Cavoleau * cite the wine of Hermitage as an 



* " CEnologie Francaise, on Statisque de tous les Vignobles de France. 

 Paris, 1827." 



