Editor's Preface. 



degrees, are produced the Roussillon, the Languedoc, and the 

 heavy wines of Provence. As we proceed northward, the 

 vineyards produce a lighter wine, but possessed of great 

 delicacy. 



To give an idea of the extent of this culture and its amounts, 

 the following statement is made on the authority of Victor 

 Rendu : 



In 1857 there were 2,000,000 hectares occupied as vine- 

 yards ; nearly 5,000,000 acres. The produce amounted to 

 30,783,223 hectolitres, over 813,000,000 gallons of wine, and 

 1,085,802 hectrolitres, nearly 29,000,000 gallons of brandy. 

 The annual value being 478,088,302 francs, or nearly 91,000- 



000 dollars. 



In this country vine culture is yet in its infancy, but our 

 people have made rapid strides, now that they have started in 

 the right direction, and there is no calculating the extent which 

 our vineyards may attain within a few years. The character- 

 istic energy and intelligence, with abundant wealth, have been 

 embarked in the business, and the efforts must be crowned 

 with successfiil results. Still we have much to learn, and for 

 want of proper information and attention to the pointings of 

 experience guided by common sense, many will fail. 



When I say we have at length started in the right direction 



1 mean to refer to the errors of the early vine planters, who 

 attempted to naturalize and acclimatize the foreign grapes, 

 and who signally failed. Now, we are producing new varieties 

 oy crossing and selecting the species and varieties indigenous to 

 the country, which are better adapted to our soils and climate, 

 and among the numbers that are annually presented to the 



