20 
NOTES  OF  TRAVEL  IN  EUROPE. 
Cote  d'or  wine  region,  and  a  large  portion  of  the  soil  is  devoted  to  the 
grape.     Here,  as  well  as  along  the  Rhone  valley,  the  vines  are  planted 
about  four  feet  apart  each  way,  like  Indian  corn,  and  are  trimmed  hack  to 
a  stump  from  six  to  twelve  inches  high  ;  the  entire  soil  being  plowed  up  in 
the  spring,  before  the  vine  shoots,  giving  a  peculiar  dotted  appearance  to 
the  hill-sides  as  we  passed  them.     The  vignerons  were  busily  engaged  in 
placing  stakes  about  four  feet  long  beside  each  root,  to  support  the  fruit- 
bearing  branches,  which  are  tied  to  them,  and  kept  cut  back  and  thinned 
out.     After  passing  Dijon  the  English  walnut  (Juglans  regia)  was  seen  in 
culture  ;  but  south  of  Lyons  this  tree  is  largely  cultivated,  especially  near 
Grenoble,  where  its  fruit  is  a  staple.     In  descending  the  Rhone  valley  due 
south  vegetation  changes  very  perceptibly  in  its  character  in  the  course 
of  one  day's  travel.    The  plantations  of  white  mulberry,  for  the  silk  cul-  , 
ture,  became  more  abundant,  and  were  just  ready  for  feeding.    We  saw 
the  women,  with  short  ladders,  gathering  the  leaves  in  bags  and  baskets, 
which  is  continued  until  the  trees  are  stripped, — in  which  state  they  pre- 
sent a  blighted  aspect,  as  though  the  army  worm  had  passed  over  them. 
The  energies  of  the  trees  then  throw  out  a  new  crop  of  leaves,  and  many 
cut  back  the  shoots,  and  form  a  new  head  to  the  tree  for  the  following 
year.    But  all  are  not  thus  cut  back,  some  being  allowed  to  branch  and 
spread  like  apple  trees.     When  they  are  headed  in,  the  intervening,  soil 
is  planted  with  grapes  or  other  crops,  and  the  whole  kept  plowed. 
Before  arriving  at  Avignon,  the  olive,  the  almond  and  fig  trees  begin  to 
be  seen,  and  at  Tarragon  and  Nismes  olive  orchards  are  very  numerous, 
and  orchards  of  apricots  in  the  most  vigorous  health  are  abundant ;  in 
fact,  the  delta  of  the  Rhone  south  of  Nismes  and  Tarras^on,  called  the 
isle  de  la  Camargue,"  is  exceedingly  fruitful,  and  affords  largely  of  olive 
oil,  besides  contributions  of  early  fruit  to  the  Paris  market.  The  peculiar 
dull,  pale  tint  of  the  evergreen  foliage  of  the  olive  gives  to  the  olive  groves 
a  melancholy  aspect,  strongly  contrasted  with  the  large  shining  deep 
green  leaves  of  the  fig,  and  the  equally  rich  but  varied  foliage  of  the  apri- 
cot. The  neighborhood  of  Avignon  is  also  noted  for  the  culture  of  madder, 
though  we  were  informed  that  this  branch  of  industry  had  of  late  much 
decreased  in  that  vicinity,  owing  to  a  diminished  foreign  demand.  Madder 
was  introduced  into  this  neighborhood  by  a  Persian  called  Jean  Althen,  to 
whom  a  bronze  s-tatue  is  erected  on  the  ridge  above  the  town.  Some 
cantharides  are  also  collected  near  here,  and  honey  and  olive  oil  are 
staples. 
The  Roman  antiquities  of  the  valley  of  the  Rhone,  especially  those  at 
Vienne,  Tarrascon,  Aries  and  Nismes,  are  of  great  interest,  and  numerous 
middle-age  remains  exist,  but  are  foreign  to  the  subject  of  this  letter. 
After  leaving  Tarriscon,  the  road  proceeds  south  to  Aries,  at  the  head  of 
the  delta,  and  then  takes  a  south-easterly  direction  to  Marseilles,  passing 
the  tunnel  of  La  Nertha,  nearly  three  miles  long  and  thirty-three  feet 
high,  ventilated  by  twenty-two  shafts  ;  soon  after  which  the  Mediterranean 
