1809.] 
it remainsto be decided whether we ought 
to ascribe this difference to the culture, 
the plants, or the soil. 
II. Ave the high Exposures, the middle 
Elevations, or the lower Grounds, best 
adupted for Vineyards ? 
OF all srtuations, the middle grounds 
are most esteemed: the heat being more 
concentrated in chem, they are exempt 
from the variations of the atmosphere 
which prevail on eminences, and from 
the humidity and exhalations which issue 
from the lower regions: the elaboration of 
the sap or juice is therefore more com- 
plete in the middle grounds. 
{II. Does an East or West differ much 
Jrom a South Exposure, mn occasioning 
a sensible Difference in the Quality of 
the Wines ? 
A western exposure is unfavourable to 
vegetation: it burns and parches without 
any advantage, nor does it give time for 
the juice to be elaborated, and spread 
through all the channels of vegetauion, 
when mists, humidity, or dew,’ succeed: 
it is a certain fact, that | ae is a ditfer- 
ence of one third in the quality and va- 
lue between vines situated in east and 
west exposures. ( 
IV. Describe the Nature of the Ground 
or Sol which produces the best Wine. 
Next to exposure, the nature of the 
soil and of the ground influences the qua- 
lity of the wine. It must be admitted, 
however, that grounds with a nowtheriex- 
posure produce wines of a generous ¢ and 
spirituous description; while another ex- 
posure, perhaps to the south, yields. a 
poor and common sort of wine. It is 
therefore to the salts and the juicesof the 
earth, combined with the influence cf the 
atmosphere, that we must ascribe the 
goodness and qualities of soils adapted for 
vineyards. 
The most proper soil for vines is a 
sandy granitic earth, neither compact, 
nor too thick, nor clayey: frequently i 1a 
the best exposures, we meet with stony 
soils, which give very strong wines; but 
warm and dry seasons are requisite in 
theee cases, anda necessary maturity: be- 
neath these stony soils, there are clayey 
and unctuous parts, and eecnhy of springs, 
which conduce to the elaboration of the 
juice. 
In general throughout Champagne the 
soils proper for vines rest upon banks of 
chalk. The vine, indeed, coines up slowly 
mn this kind of soil, but when it has fairly 
taken root it grows to perfection: the 
heat of the atmosphere i is tempered and 
modified by the coolness of the chalky 
Monr uLy Mac. No. 182. 
Vineyards and Wines of Champagne in France. 
137 
beds, the moisture of which is constantly 
sucked up by the vegetative channels of 
the vine-piant. 
CULTIVATION OF THE VINE. 
V. How is the Vine planted 2 
In November or December, when the. 
season adinits of it, the vine is planted by 
making an oblong hole or furrow, one foot 
and a half in depth, by two or three feet 
in length: the plant is introduced into it 
and covered with earth. 
VI. What is the Way in which the 
Shoots are made ? 
The plants are inserted into turfs, or 
in longueties. ‘The longuette is a mere 
naked twig, whichhad been left the year 
preceding, and which is now carefully. 
raised and detached, leaving the young 
roots behind it. : 
The turt-plant, or marcotte, consists in 
digg bg, up a fate i the marshes, and i n= 
troducing into it in spring, by means of a 
hole made i in the middle of the turf, ie 
longuette or slip intended to be planted : 
this shoot with its earthy appendage is, 
then fixed in the eround, sloping 1t as 
usual: the reot is formed in the course of 
the year, and with apruning-knife the lon- 
guette 1s cut. close to the top of the shoot, 
and they are then removed by men, oron, 
the backs of animals, in order to hc after 
wards planted: this last way is the most 
expensive, but it isthe surest, and advan- 
ces the vine very fast inrespect to vegela- 
tion. 
One hundred loneuettes or hae slips 
cost four or five livres, and turf plants 
cost from 12 to 14 livres. 
But as two longuettes are requisite for 
each hole or farrow, “when they plant in 
this way there is a trifling saving, al- 
though the ozher method is far prefers 
ahle, 
VIL. fs Grafting advantageous ? 
Grafting is not in general 1 use, Except 
in the vines belonging to the vine-dres- 
sers themselves, and m the large plant : 
these vines when: -grafted become yellow, 
and languish. ‘The graft remains for some 
yearsexposed to the air, humidity, and to 
bad management of the labourer, and in 
short to all the intemperance of the cli-. 
mate, 
Vill. How long docs a good Vine Plant 
lust ¢ 
A good vine-plant lasts 50 or 60 years, 
and frequently longer, according to the, 
care whieh has been taken of at 
A vine-plant is deteriorated generally 
by the bad inanagemeut of the vine-dres- 
sers with respect to the shoots or slips: if 
they are not sunk deep enough mm the 
ae ground, 
