283 



until 1715, the procureur of the Abbey, and the in- 

 ventor of champagne. He was a born judge of wine 

 and improved his ability by practice ; and he, too, 

 invented the champagne cork. Grreat efforts are 

 made by manufacturers to introduce new brands, 

 and heavy costs are incurred. The trade to the 

 United States is by means of stationary agents; 

 but not so in France and Europe, where the busi- 

 is chiefly retail, and done by travelling agents. Well 

 known brands cannot be bought directly at Rheims. 

 The best wine ever made can bought without the 

 brand. 



The average cost to the manufacturer is 2 to 2J 

 francs per bottle, but it costs 7 francs at the Rheims 

 hotels. The Germans control much of the cham- 

 pagne trade at Rheims. The Hiedsiecks, Piper, 

 de Sachs, the Mumms and Roederer are all Ger- 

 mans, and every wine establishment in all Cham- 

 pagne is, more or less, under their management. 

 The cause is said to be, French commercial inapti- 

 tude. The sound, practical education of the Teu- 

 tons has also something to do with this. The man- 

 ufactu' ers have largely intermarried with the French 

 noblesse. The soil which grows the champagne is 

 very poor. Rheims is a desert. The wine district 

 is more attractive. There are about 41,030 acres, 

 shared between 16,095 proprietors. They live in 

 stone built villages. Epernay, Chalons and Ay are 

 towns of some size, and have large manufactories of 

 other kinds. 



The Rilly and Bouzy, red wines, are grown here, 

 but when perfected, cannot travel without injury. 

 Champagne is made by discriminating the products 

 of various vineyards and combining their qualities. 



The grape crop of 1865 was distinguished for its 

 amount and fine quality ; that of the next year was 

 worthless. The pressing of the grape, mixing of 

 the varieties and bottling and storing, are all very 

 delicate duties, and in 1857-8 the loss by breakage 

 from gas was 25 per cent of the whole. It averages 

 10 per cent., and is controlled by employing a lower 

 temperature. The wine is nursed from two to four 

 years, and is in constant motion. Commercial 

 Champagne is rarely kept more than two years ; 

 that of '58, the best ever made, is just perfected. 



When the wine is sold, each bottle is opened and 

 a liqueur, composed of white sugar, white wine and 

 spirit of cognac is added to suit the market. France 

 and the continent want a light, sweet wine ; Russia 

 sweet and strong ; England dry and vigorous, and 

 America something between the French and Eng- 

 lish. Dry champagne must be made from the finest 

 raw wine, sweet can be made from any material. 

 The very best go only to England. 



A bottle of ordinary champagne contains from 30 

 to 40 per cent, of liqueur ; dry, fine wine, 10 to 15 

 per cent. The cork is put in by a machine. For 

 the English or American markets a dozen bottles 

 are put in a basket, and thirty or more for a French 

 or continental customer, and then the work is 

 ended. 



Champagne should not explode noisily or frothily. 

 Good wine absorbs carbonic acid, and its sparkle 

 will continue for twenty-four hours. In 1846, a 

 manufacturer saved but 120 bottles out of 6000, 

 owing to the poor quality of his bottles. The con- 

 noisseur must rely upon taste and smell in forming 

 his judgment. If his sight shows that the wine 

 flows smoothly, sparkles briskly, is transparent, 

 glistening and of a pale, amber color, he may be- 

 lieve he has a good and old wine. Wine to to be 

 tested should have a temperature of 50a54 degrees 

 Fahrenheit. If good, a drop or two on the hand 

 will have an aromatic odor ; if bad, a mixed sugary 

 and spirituous smell. The houquet is only to be de- 

 tected by the palate. 



There is not much adulterated with poisonous n- 

 gredients in this country, though much which is 

 manufactured. The only security is to buy from an 

 authorized agent. All the wine from Champagne 

 is not genuine. One Rheims manufacturer export- 

 ed every wine and spirit a customer desired. Cham- 

 pagne does not improve by age. A voyage, how- 

 ever, helps it; by mixing the liquor. When bought, 

 the bottles should be laid on their sides, at an angle 

 of 45 degrees, with the necks down. It should al- 

 ways be drunk cold. A pointed rather than a round 

 or flat-bottomed glass increases the efi'ervescence. — 

 Phila. North American. 



Eglantine. — What plant was meant by "Eglan- 

 tine" by the ancient writers has been disputed, but 

 we are of opinion that they so named what we term 

 the Sweet Brier. Shakespeare puts into the mouth 

 of Oberon the lines : 



"I know a hank whereon the Wild Thyme Mows, 

 Where Ox-lips and the nodding Violet grows; 

 Quite over-canopied with lush Woodbine, 

 With sweet Musk Roses and with Eglantine." 



So the Eglantine could not have been the Wood- 

 bine, as seme suppose; and in " Cymbeline" the 

 same poet speaks of the sweet perfume of the 

 Eglantine's leaves. Old Gerarde says — "Eglantine, 

 that is Sweet Brier," and Turner, a still older her- 

 balist, calls it " Eglentine, orSwete Brere." — Lon- 

 don Journal of Horticulture. 



[The English peasantry, whom we have found 

 pretty good on vernacular names, point out the 

 Dog Rose [Rosa canina) as Eglantine. — Ed. G.M.} 



