The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-06-23
THE VINE AND ITS FRuIIs

and prctensions, consisting of only twenty one
pages. but it contains vast deal Of information
on this one Of the most interesting subjects that
can engage the attention Of Southern men at the
prssent time. The author has evidently studied
tho subject thoroughly, and presents the results
Of scientific analysis, combined with minute and
personal observation in the wine producing dis
tricts Of France. We gather from it n few state
ments which. whether new or old, may DO Of iu-
terest to the noviccs in tho vine culture
iDr. Hammond takes the position that some
stmuiants nrs necessary for mankind "1he
spiritual anh physical aturcs Of man nre alway.
moro or less iu auttgouism the one with the oIer
The nervous systcrn is their field Of conflict
Through il, and by means Of the various stin,u-
lants the balance Of power between miud and
matter must he adjusted. What siimulant TO
us,. and how to usc it. is the great question:
The simplest, most effectual and least qursl Iona
bic solution which has thus far been offered to
tho problem, seems TO lie the Frenchman's pint Of
wine. If this conclusion be correct the culture
Of tn. vine becomes-what We have always bc-
1ievcd it to bean object Of tho greatest impor-
tance and interest, as the promoter uf o rational
temperance reform.
The quantity Of land occupied by vineyards
in France. is estimated at q little moro than five
millions Of acres. or about one twenty seventh
Of the whole surface Of the country. The ave-
rage annual pOdnce is vnriously reck"ncd at one
billion :" more than billion and half of gal.
Ions. Tho minimum Weld il about 30 gallons per
acre, aud much 1000 gallons per acre has
been produced iu the South Of France. The
average yield may safely be estimated at $50
galons per acre. There are more Than two mil
lions of proprietors, SO that the average is only
about two acres Of ground to each. The culture
of the vine in France is thus mostly in the hands
Of class who can afford but little outlay for i'm
provement of their lands or methods Of cultva-
tion. The vineyards of Bordeaux aud Burgundy
aro an exception, as they are held by large pro-
prietors who can make expensive outlays for inn
rrovements, and the advantage is seen in the
superior quality and better prices Of their vines
Even in those provinces, however. agriculture is
too generally neglected by the educated cInsscs,
most of whom prefer to live in the cities and
leave the whole o! their lands to subordinate
agents There is no improvement, aud, indeed.
acarcely any attempt ut improvement. in the
system of culture. While will, ns, almost every
planter and farmer has some theory, implement
or mode of culture peculiar TO himself in France
whole districts are cultivated in precisely The
same manner and with exactly the same imple.
Inents
Supposing the production Of VINE in France
to be "a billion aud half of gallons pcr annu,n.
and estimating its average value at only ten
cents gallon, the whole value will he $3.50 900.
600, sum which represents al least one eight
OF tho gross produce Of the soil Of France.
One itre (about seven eights of quartz of
wine per day is supposed to replace for work
amount OF wine produced in France represents,
therefore, the substance Of about l,60O 900
men.
"Still," says our author, waxing eloquent with
the genial theme 1T is not in the blood md
muscle Of the laborer, costly as that NAV be- that
We can estimate the value Of that article, which,
while it promotes conviviality Mt the social
board, carries comfort and gIadness 10 the homes
OF the poor and while it givca courage 10 the
soldier, warns also the heart Of the peace maker
and the aims giver; inspires the poet; renders
the orator eloquent; the lover confident and ma
terialy contributes to the good digestion of most
persons who use il Alright
With regard 10 the climate in which the vino
will flourish. the isothermul line which traverses
the regions Of the Eastern Continent most favora-
blo I" its grow,h-that ia, Northern Italy and
tho valley Of Gironde-strik+s America in the
neighborhood Of Cape fIatteras. aud proceeds
thence IN line nearly due west, until it reaches
California, when it makes considerable d-fec-
tion to the northward. The great difference.
however. between our climate and that Of Europe
consists in the greater extremes Of heat and cold
that We have, and not only in the greater ex-
treme, but IN the greater diversity between the
average temperatures Of winter and that of sum-
mer. Thus the average temperature of Savan.
nah is eleven degrees hollow that of Funchal
(dadeira) III winter, aud eight dcgrpes above il
in summer. What effect these notifications of
climate will produce upon the vine is question
that has to be tested BY experiment; and the re-
suits Of experience thus far, we think, have been
very encouraging. The author of the pamphlet
before us thinks that the heat of summer in the
Southern States will not be found prcjudical 10
the vine. At Nicholosi, on Mount Etna, the
average summer temperature ia 76o-somewhat
higher than TINT Of Savannah-and yet the slopes
OF the mountain yield excellent wine. Every
where. as the climate, or even the season, in
creoses in warmth, other things being equal, the
VINE increases Ill quantity, strength and sweet
ness. Intense heats are admitted bv all all.
thorties t" be no obstacle to the success full cu.
tnre OF the vine, umless they are accompanied by
excessive moisture. With regard to this latter
poht' While the average annual fall of rain s
from thirty to forty per cent. greater in tho Uni.
ted States than in France. yet the climate of
france Is really much damper than ours, OIL ac-
count OF the greater proportion of cloudy days
and Of slow, drizzng rains
Wine Is produced in France from grapes cult
Vated III almost every variety of soil Dr. Ham.
Inond remarks. however, that he has never failed
in any case. to detect the element of lime
IN considerable quantities.. wherever differences
might exist in The other ingredients OF the soik
:, WIN regard 10 exposure. ii word pronounced
ny the majority of vine growers with certain
mysterious air" the whole secret is that the vine
na Southern plant, and man, in his endeayors
10 domestIeate it in his Northern home, has
found that TIE nearer the temperature can be
ihede 10 approximate to that of its native skies
the better will be the results The hest and
most obvious means of accomplishing this object
lsto give it full exposure to the rays of the sun
Hence the value Of a Southern exposure in
Northern latitudes. In climates more favorable
TO the growth of the vine. the "exposure" is a
matter OF little Importance.
]! our UNITS would admit Of it, we should lk
70 draw moro largely upon the valuable tract OF
Dr Hammond for information respectiup the
different varieties of the plant-its culture, pro.
Paga''on' the vintage, the process of making
wine, DC: DC. We have only room, however,
for brief notice Of one other point. The v,ne
IN Europe has beon Propagated for centuries only
by Iayerng and grating. There has been no re-
newal of the stock from the seed I'll. writer
believes that vines thus propagated must, sooner
or later, lose their energy and become extinct
Ferl,aps the odum" that disease recently 20
istai to the vi"eeyards.-may be but forerunner
~ ese .ppreaching decay Of the modern plant,
just as the old Massc and FaIerinian have Ionp
since become extinct The time (six to ten wears !
required IN France for obtaining fruit from tile seed
the great obstacle. In this climate the time might
DO much abridged; and Dr. Hammond advises
those introducing the culture TO paw special at.
fo -