118 



COTE d'oR. 



almost a pure clay, of a dark yellow colour, without any 

 admixture of calcareous matter whatever. From what I had 

 previously observed at Dijon on the one side, and Beaune 

 on the other, I have no doubt that the same character 

 applies, with trifling variations, to the whole range of the 

 Cote d'Or. Nearest the top the soil contains a larger pro- 

 portion of lime, and this in general yields the driest and 

 best wine. On descending, the clay begins to predomi- 

 nate, and the wine gradually falls off in quality till it be- 

 comes the vi7i ordinaire of the country. By dint of fre- 

 quent observations and repeated questions, I conceive that 

 I at last perfectly understand the system of 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 provins 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 two feet ; 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 converted into the root of two or three 

 different plants ; it throws out fibres from every side, 

 which henceforth yield the nourishment to the plants, ana 

 the old root dies off. 1 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 peophng their neighbourhood when they had 

 acquired sufficient strength. The provignage extends irre- 

 gularly over the whole vineyard, but most, or all, of the 



