70 AGRICULTURE OF 



spout at one end, into an aperture of about a foot square 

 in the upper side of the vat underneath. While the men 

 are treading the grapes in these troughs, they take out a 

 portion of the stalks by means of a three-pronged stick, 

 and after the grapes are pretty well broken, the whole 

 contents of the trough are emptied into the vat. In the 

 vat it is left to ferment, from eighteen to twenty-four days, 

 according to circumstances, and at the end of that period, 

 the wine is drawn off to another vat, by means of a siphon 

 and a pump. The marc^ or skins and grounds, are then 

 removed to the press, and the wine extracted from them 

 is kept apart as being of inferior quality. In the end of 

 each vat there is an aperture sufficiently large for a man 

 to enter and clean it out. This is strongly secured by 

 means of copper screws. After having been removed to 

 a clean vat, the wine is kept in it till the following spring, 

 when it is again drawn off the lees. When twelve months 

 old, it is sent to Port Vendre, where Mr. Durand has very 

 extensive stores and cellars ; it is there mixed with 10 per 

 cent, of brandy, and shipped for Paris. This is the .or- 

 dinary description of Rousillon* wine, of the plain ; but 

 being made with more care than that of the smaller pro- 

 prietors, it is the best of its kind. The wine of the hills 

 is of a better quality. 



Exclusive of the ploughing, which is done by their 

 permanent servants, the management of the vines costs 

 about thirty francs a hectare. The ploughing and the 

 vintage may cost fifteen francs more — being, in all, about 

 16s. an English acre. The value of the produce is from 

 15 to 18 francs a charge of 26 English gallons; or from 



* Roussillon is the old name of the province which is now called 

 " Pyrenees Orientales." 



