New-York tribune., 1867-06-20
RANDOM LETTERS. No. vi.
COUNTRY LIFE IN THE PAYS DE vAuD.

Uctycen the sunrise and sunset Of one daY We
rossed Switzerland in diagonal line from Romans
horn on the Lake of Constance. 20 the sunny 'li'
rI,d slopes of Lake Leman. Even Summer couiN
not add to the perfect green Of the meadows Vp0
sun shone warmly into the busy, thlcdy-poPui"'Tu'
sheltered valleys and every view OF the dslanV Np'
allowed them whittier and loftier than the pictures III
nv memOry from their deeper ana OroaueL neiu9 "a
unmelted snow. Our journey was greatness SuO
casson of admi1ations, closing with the last anu
,nost startling of ALL as the tram emerged nom 'no
tunnel of Chexbres and IN nash' tue "Hoic VI
Ike Leman. the Alps of Savoy, and the Rhone lay
LeIow and before us. Thence along the steep which
cha toll of a thousand years has wrought into Vne-
ward terraces we descended to Lausanne and at dusk
found ourselves fixed in quiet country home mile
from the town.
Though so near, the place is completely isolated.
steep hill to the north and northeast shuts OUT al
view of Lausannea the railroad, while IN iTont tne
orchards vineyards andmeadows descend rapl'ly 10
the Iale-shore. Across the ever-chmgmg PLAIN Oh
water rise the farms vineyards chesthu'-"oous'
md high mountain-pasturcs of Savoy, above WHICH,
eastward the rocky pinnacles of the Dent q Oche
and the Comets shoot out of fields OF snow Just
hefore the further shore disappears on the left 1t
shows us the rocks Of Mcillene where, on dark
stormy night of the year 1877 Byron and Shelley
cams 80 near being wrecked in the same boat. TO
the right the crescent lake curves away toward
'Thopon and the stubborn forehead of Mount SaeVe,
Leyond Geneva rises over the low point OF land:
then westward all the range of the Jura rises against
the sky with twenty or thirty intervening miles OIL
rich. irregular country. which the changing lighIS
and atnospheres of April sometimes bring near ana
SHARP sometimes thrust into dimmcs remotest dis
tance.
The house is built against the hill, so that the door
on the road to Lausanne opens out OF story ABOVE
the door to the terrace overlooking the lake On tins
lower and SUMMER side the front of the house is over
grown with Jasmine; in the middle of the terrace is
a glossy clump of Italian laurel and two sycamores,
pruned and trained to the shape of Chinese umbrel-
las in order to give the greatest possible shade with
ont intercspting the view, but over these ana the
low rampant of masonry, the slender splre OF an
Italian cypress rises into the air. from the garden
below In this garden, there first: beds OF wall
flowers violets, red anemOnes AID byacinth; then'
plum and pear trees then, open ground iOr Ncse-
tables and lastly an orchard of fruit serving also
as hay-feld These gardens and orchards occupy a
space of about two the rest OF the property
twenty acres, is devoted to vineyards East OF Ll'
anne where the mountains slope southwark, present
ing warmer exposure, one sees scarcely any tnlng
but vines: westward between us and the Jula iiult
and grass seem to predOminate. waste or 1aloW
land is not to be found anywhere,
Here as in England, the Spring is of slow develop
ment. The Winter corresponds 20 that oi NeWDeIh;
North Carolina and great many southern trees ana
plants flourish in the open air. hut the vicinity Oh
The Alps with their immense snow-iields, preserves
body of cold, the effect of which does not wholly
dison1car before the month of July. This conflict
between the sun and the mount ans gives rise to a
multitude of winds, each of which has It's own IN
diydual quality and its different progmOsucatlon.
The nOrh-wind Ia Bise Is at tie same time inc most
violent. unpleasant healthy, ana OF DesG Oulell-io
it always brings good weather The southwest. ana
the west, or juror, are OF evil sgnlHcahce; ana
now and then a siroccO slips over from Africa ana
blows like a pestence. Although the pear-tIees are
in bloom, the GndeDs and hOrSe-chestnuts IN lear
and the grass ready for moving the average temper
atnre may still be called cold rather than warm.
While the open heat of the sun is uncomionabie,
YOU cannot sit in the shade without becoming chilled
We have thus the Spring everywhere before our eyes,
and have not yet felt il in the air. Every feruzlng
rain these green slopes is new-snoT-fall on yOn-
der Alpine submits across the lake we Watsh tle
line of snow creeping mp IN good weather ana com
ing rapidly down after storm, until IT has become
the visible struggle OF two hostile forces.
Behind the country rises Steeply for DOR three
miles and the streams and springs OF the upper
region are brought down to gush IN clear fountains
at evory door, and water the slopes of perennial
grass There is no cottage but has lis stone tank
filled from an ever-fOwng spOut-nO garden without
its basin OF Tl. An American farmer could not pos
siby understand why bayfield, should be irrigated
at this season when it rains every other daybut he
has never practically learned Except recently Cali
fOrnia and Colorado the power OF water upon vcge,
tation. There are meadows here which are moved
in Winter well as Summer-helds which produce
annually eight crops OF grass, each one equal TO an
average crop at home AT the foot Of OT garden
there is basin in the earth lust below OF the
fountains. Into it manure of all kinds is thrown.
the basin filled with water and frequently stirred
after which, this liquid nOurshment Is let into the
little ducts which carry t0 every part OF the grass
field. should like TO see the same proceeding tried
in favorable climate. The result, am sure,
wOud be astonishing.
The rigpaOns are now busy in working the ground
among their vines. and / have personal interest
thaYng little vineyard at hOmel IN watching lbclr
operations. After the second pruning, before the
flow of sap, the old vineyards present curious aP
pearance The vine-stuinps resemble old knots Of
from the soil. and generally Gov
cred with gray and yellow moss They are planted
worry closets by - Dches-and the sou eau there
fore only be worked by hand. Well-rOtted manure
is first spread the surface and allowed 10 lie
few days. Then the rigHgOn armed with huge Two
pronged hOcng-fOTk, begins his labor Commencing
at tho bottom Of the SLOPE lac turns the soil complete
Jy. as he ascends The pGOngs are from one 10 Two
inches broad and fifteen inches IN length and the
soil ~ thus turned 10 depth OF one loot Nhen ne
reaches the top of the vineyard he IS obliged to Te
turn and carry sufficient earth from the bottom TO
fin the vacancy left by the last trench The abOr
slow and severe: doubt whether a good hand could
turn an acre in less than four or five days. The sOi
here is gTayelly loan, mixed with clay, and rather
cold for vines; vet they thrive well that no other
crop is nearly profitable.
After this preparation Of the ground, the stakes
which are always removed III the Fall are replaced
and the vines are LETT until the time Of Inc hrsJ
e6eniN9-crOpping off the leaves The stakes
light only four feet high and intended merely as a
support for the tops Of the new shoots. Being cut
back every year. the stocks become so strong and
massive that they tTee-stumpS to the fresh
saplngs SO much has been written in the United
states ABOUT lnc proper lOIIu OI Aitlilh VINO
yards that the Swiss method strikes curiOusly
simple and practical have not been able TO aseer-
tain the average production very exactly, but it
seems TO be two gallons to every ten feet square which
would include about twenty-five vines. The vaiue
would vary from six to eight francs, according 10 tho
quality The VaudOis wines, however, are not con-
sidered SO good as those of the Nalas.
Tho principal fruits in our garden and orchard as
well as in those adjoining the place. apple, pear,
cherry and fig; but every grass field, and al the
rOadsides, far and near, are studded with Immense
walnut-trces. cultivated mainly for the oil. There
are no more superb trees ia EUrOpe-nOt even the
rnrn Drlih oaks of ENGLAND and Germany. IheTe