in the North-west of France. 
101 
and the burden of rates and taxes, it is reckoned' that to pay his 
way the peasant should be able to sell his produce for at least 
100/. per annum. The lowest possible return from one hectare 
(2J acres), which will enable this balance of receipts and ex- 
penditure to be arrived at, is therefore between 64/. and 08/., or 
say 26/. per acre. The large proprietor requires a somewhat 
larger return to make his vineyard pay, because during times 
of pressure, when there is considerable competition for hired 
labour, he is obliged to engage occasional labourers at a very 
high rate. On the other hand, it should be remembered that 
many of these larger estates represent the first quality {^premiers 
cms) of Champagne, and that their produce is often sold at the 
rate of 800/. per acre, and generally exceeds 300/. per acre. 
These prices leave a very wide margin for additional expendi- 
ture on labour and other items necessary to the production of 
the best quality of wine. The vineyards are usually the pro- 
perty of the cultivator, being seldom let except during an 
interval previous to sale, and then the rent paid is usually half 
the gross produce. 
Saumur. — Nothing can be more striking than the contrast 
between the vineyards of the two great districts where sparkling- 
wine is the speciality. Instead of the hill sides covered with 
short closely-planted vines that one sees in Champagne, the 
vines of Saumur appear at first sight to be neither more nor less 
than hedgerows, separating the fields of corn and clover, and 
trained to stakes, sometimes connected by iron wire. There 
are, however, some vineyards entirely devoted to the grape, and 
there the usual course of cultivation, as I was informed, by Mr. 
Akerman Laurance, of St. Laurent, near Saumur, is briefly as 
follows : — 
The ground having been thoroughly well cultivated, during 
the autumn and early spring, the vines are planted in March. 
The sets are cuttings taken in November, and they are planted 
deeper in sandy ground than in heavier soil, the rows being 
6 feet 6 inches apart and the plants 33 inches distant in the 
rows. Manuring is done in various ways. It is considered 
best to apply manure only once in ten years, but some farmers 
manure every four years and others again every year. Frequent 
manure is condemned by those who should be the best judges. 
There is also an idea that cattle-dung is the best manure for 
sandy soil and stable-manure for richer soil. Sometimes, also, 
guano is used. The land is either dug or ploughed three or 
lour times during the growing season, to keep it free from 
weeds, and pruning is done at the beginning of June. As in 
Champagne so in the Saumur district, the vines on the hill-sides 
and on chalky soils give the best wine, and those in the valleys 
