220 
SOUTHERN CULTIVATOT. 
ornamental, having leaves of a glaucous hue, it is some- 
times used in parks. 
Photiniaserratifolia, also called Cratccgvs f[lobro,\s^ 
very fine evergreen bush from China, with shining leaves 
and clusters of white flowers. Propagated by layers and 
grafting on the Quince. 8 to 10 feet high. 
Pittosporinn Tobira, a well known, very spreading 
bush, quite common in many gardens. The yellowish- 
white and very fragrant flowers are produced in April 
and May. Thet*e is a variety with varigated leaves, but 
not so fine-looking as the green species. Propagated from 
layers and cuttings of the young wood in July. 6 to 8 
feet high. Robkrt Nelson. 
Macon, Ga., June, 1856. 
VINE GROWING IN FRANCE. 
We are indebted to a friend, whose son is on his travels 
in Europe, for copies of two letters in regard to Grape 
culture in France, and permission to publish them, though 
not written for the press. We think our readers will find 
them both interesting and instructive. It is important to 
us to know as accurately as possible all the modes of vine 
growing and wine making in the old countries, especially 
in France ; and the carefully collected, well digested, and 
clearly stated facts of our young friend, foi-m a valuable 
contribution to this purpose. If all our young tourists in 
Europe would occasionally turn their attention to practi- 
cal matters, with the keen and thoughtful investigation 
which these letters exhibit, and furnish ns with as correct 
and vivid pictures of the actvalUies abroad, they would 
vender us very useful and acceptable service. — Eds. 
Bordeaux, April 21st, 1856. 
'•’■FoucUe cocker, et rue void sue le ckerulnd was my ex- 
clamation as, carpet-bag in hand, I jumped into avoiture 
last Wednesday morning, and rolled away from my lodg- 
ing in the Rue Bonaparte towards the chemin de fer d’ 
Orleans. After traversing the immense plains which form 
part of the principal grain producing country of France, 
we reached Orleans about half-past 10 A. M. The coun- 
try around Orleans is level, low and damp, without being 
marshy, and would be much improved by ditching, of 
which I saw no signs; the soil is alluvial, light and sandy, 
with a very small proportion of clay of a darkish color, 
rendered grey by the great abundance of small quartz 
pebbles which everywhere cover the surface. It is from 
one to three feet in depth, as I could determine from rail- 
road cuts, with a subsoil of sand largely mixed with lime, 
under which is found at a distance of from five to fifteen 
feet the limestone rock — the same which forms the cele- 
brated Paris basin. It was April IGth and the ther- 
mometer stood at 4f)| degrees, at half pastsS A. M. This 
however, was cold for the season, as lilacs were in bloom 
and the trees and vines buddmg everywhere. The de- 
partment of Loire, in which the town is situated, has, be- 
sides its fields of grain, 36,341 hectares* planted in vines, 
which produce a yearly average of 1,200,000 hecto- 
litrest of wine. These wines do not rank among the vins 
Jins, as indeed do none in the whole region of country on 
the Orleans and Poitiers route between Paris and Borde- 
lais. 
After breakfast, I asked my landlord for the address of 
the principal “vignerole” in the neighborhood, and half 
an hour afterwards found myself pulling the bell at the 
■door of M. Caeart, the Mayor of St. Jean de Bray, a vil- 
lage near Orleans. I was ushered into the parlor by 
*A Hectare is nearly two and a half acres. 
■fA Hectolitre is about 23 English gallons. 
Madame, and in a moment found myself in the presence of 
the Mayor, a handsome middle-aged man, in a blouse 
and shod with sabots. His toilet surprised me not a little, 
as the neat black silk dress of Madame, and her mar. tiers 
at once elegant and easy, had led me to expect something 
I more in her husband’s appearance ; but whatever was my 
I astonishment, it was altogether eclipsed by the perplexity 
1 and bewilderment of the good Mayor, when I informed 
j him that I had come to inquire after everything pertaining 
j to his vineyards. I relieved him from his dilemma, how- 
ever, by saying, that if he had no objections to showing 
I me his vines and giving me the information that I wanted 
i I could explain myself with much more facility when we 
j were once in the vineyard. To this he assented with a 
I charming good nature, as he was really a good fellow, 
; and a man of excellent understanding despite his blouse 
! and sabots, for which I like him all the better. I passed 
a very pleasant hour in his vineyard, and learned a great 
deal about his vines, of which I will endeavor to convey 
to you the principal ideas. 
The soil being on a dead level, there is no question abou? 
exposure. The particular species of vine is the Auvunat, 
one of the family of Pinot, of which more when I visit 
Burgundy and Champagne. The species of vine is a sub- 
ject of prime importance, as you will readily see when I 
tell you that more than two thousand varieties have been 
collected at the gardens of the Luxemburg, at Paris, and 
have been studied, classified and named. Of these but 
I four kinds are from America — the Scuppernong, Isabella, 
I Catawba and somebody's Madeira. In the fall the vigne- 
I ron selects the branch of that year's growth which he 
j thinks most fit for his purpose, and cuts it off exactly where 
I the wood of that year's growth joins wdth that of last year. 
I There exists here a ring called the ‘daton” from which the 
1 root springs. These twigs are made into bundles and 
buried during the winter. In I\Iay they are dug up and 
the roots are found to be sprouted and the eyes swollen and 
white. They are then planted in holes made with a sharp 
iron, to the depth of six to ten inches, in rows 3 feet by 3. 
In the second fall after their planting, they are trimmed 
down to 3 eyes, or about 4 inches from the ground. This 
process of trimming is continued for 5 years, when the 
vine is pruned into a gnarled stump about 3 to 4 inches 
in height and from three-quarters to two inches thick. In 
the 5th year it commences to produce, and the fruit is al- 
ways borne by wood of one year's growth, which is a 
single twig growing on the stump I have described. 
The one neatest the ground is left for this purpose, when 
they trim in autumn, and is cut oft' at the length of three 
feet; when the vine is very vigorous they sometimes 
leave as many as two other shoots of 3 or 4 eyes The 
fundamental principal of the culture is to make the vine 
produce as near the ground as possible ; this is assisted in 
another way. In the spiing as soon as they have stuck 
the stakes on which the vine is trained — they are about 
the size and in every respect similar to our sticks for 
pea vines — they bend the twig into a circle and attach it 
so as to bring the extremity near the ground. This is done 
when the buds are swelling, and they say it is to prevent 
the sap from rising; but as it is now known that the first 
motion of the sap is downwards, this is not the correct rea- 
son. But the result is that the lower buds develope equal- 
ly with the upper ones, when this system is followed, 
which proves that it is not the relative position of the bud 
on the stem that effects their development, but that there 
is probably a difference in the upper strata of air — as 
discovered by Guv Lussac that the upper stratta isalwa^ s 
positively electrified in reference to one that is lower — or 
the difference in the reflection or evaporation from the 
earth, &c. The vines are pulled up when they reach the 
age of twenty-five years. The ground is planted for five 
yaars in oats, wheat, &c,, and more vines again set our. 
