, 1874-11-10

a verilcs Of ''n,urtlor" against tho "4..ltlo"
HrlrltuRlist. Tho cnss has however, gcno no
further. CANADEHHrs.
THE VINTAGE OF FRANCE.
A Grc;,t Xcat.
Taria {0e tQl> Correspondence q tie Lon7on Times.
YhiA Ia Il aoaaon wlon tho thoughts Of mtlltonn
OF Ttcnchmcu aro llxcd Upon tue vlntnge,-a
subject OF Immense Importance, In this groas
wino-growing country, thu wealth ond prosncri-
ty Of which dopord 10 largely on tho resultH Of
tic grapo harvest, Franoo may vol bu proud
Of ita Vineyards; IN quantity, quality, aud varie.
ty it Is tho Queen of vine producing cot,,i-
tries. "From Tho plains q Champagne to the
eais iesely exultnsly eSclaimed "frot tl,o banks
Of tho Loiro to shuso Of the Ehono, our boanti-
full sun glds with its rays upwards of 2,o90.ooo
OF 1ortaroa 81 ynos, az nnnoEalng son ocnnpntion
hcctolilres." Thta Is admitted to bo maxi
mum which has only once been nttainod, In the
year 1sGa. The years 1877 to 1857 formed an OK
ceptonal seriea. OF which tho ear'or ycara pro-
wl1ilo in tho latter ones tho odum playea havoc
with tho vli,a. Tho product IN 1851 waa tDaa
than 11.000 600 ct hcctoliiros (tlo hcctolltro II
~ gnllona) aud In 1SG5 littlo eAs than IT, 0u0 00D
600. .0a0 Of heetoatres, nil nnnr,as average Of u.s.
OO0, 900; and even 1870. In spito Of tho var and
occupation, atlaucd that quantity. Tho worst
vntage Of that period waB i'll 1873 lcss tlan &c.
00o,o00, but IL sce,na probable that 1871 wia!
compensate III great measure TINT large dols-
ccucy, Tho vine covers moro tl.an Il per cont
Of tho surface Of France, of which only ton dc.
parsmonta produce no vine. Tho nnn'bor Of
lroprictois Of vineyards, according TO tho
upwards of 2,GO0, ,G0u III 1899. Tliero is no i'm
poltant difference i'll tho extent OF vineyards i'll
1861 aud ut the present day, and the fluctuations
luriDg that Interval Aave been trilsng. The
smallest SURFACE plantod with yincn during those
over 2,0000 900 Of hectares. whafonB In some of
tho previous ycars 1t lad ranged as high as
2,3O0,0u0.
IL the Dori1cla:s, Burgundy, pud Champagne
Franco Possesses three unrlyaIcd wine districts
which all tho world beulea n1ay well envy hor,
md ot Which tho products aro purchased md
highly rolislied even in countrios Which liuvo
good wines Of their own growth, whilo i'll most
other countries they compose tho hnll OF tue
imports Bordeaux aud champagne aro tho
Trench wines most largely consumed in Eli
glanJ, although it may be faisly doubled whether
y groae dcal OF tue vino sold as Bordeaux Otdin-
burgundy, au much warmer and ptronScr wine.
ought to 10 the best adapted to OUR climate and
to palatcs wIich long prizod port nl1a still resh
sherry as daily drluk, AMI donbtlcsn tho con-
| sumption Of burgundy Inns Increased Of lato
years in spite OF two .preiudicos rather widely
spread On your sido Of tho Channel, Que being
That It il equity wine and the other that it IL
bad eailor., II It be equity, it must bo wl'cn OK
ported aud not where it grows; for It is genor-
lilly ndmittcd tlnt III no part OF franco is there
ieass of that n,aady than il burgundy. Az to tie
voyage across tho Channel, largo wlno-esowiNg
[ and exporting houses. such ~ TINT Of Roguior
| at Dijon, do their most important buBness with
England without complaining Of tho VOYAGE
The accounts from bordeaux uro to tho effect
| that, In vineyards which layo suffered from
frost or hail, tho crop is moro or esB poor ac-
! cordiug to tho degree OF dntnase dono, but In
thoao which hayo not bccn visited by tlloso oue-
| mics of tho vlnegrower, the abundance OF wiue
| exceeds tho most Haugulno nnticipAtions. Tho
| pruutiutors generally Auvo heon taken by kMY-
prise. and oven much embarrassed, by tllis bouu-
| ty Of D1cclus, and many Of tlom 1lavo Ind to
layes, or ilow from tho yats, haa made room for
more. Tho supply Ut caHltA hua alao provaa in
sufficient, mad tho price rose from 100 francs at
tho commencement Of tho vintage to 260 lrauca
bofofo, it's cioso. The temperature had been
favorable during tho growtl, and ripening OF
tho grapo. A tino qualify Of wine was forosoeu,
| aud my lottcra from Dordoaux un to threo
days ago confirm tho favorable augury. It
seoma generally agreed III tho great capital OF
clarot that 1874 will tako high piaeo among tho
good years already on record !; that tho qanlity
| will be excellent, rs the nlunlanco III certainly
great. This IL tho opinion based OH the tirst
hastings, and It naay DO considered AZ still 1tabla
to modification, but hardly to eny graat exteut;
journal OF tue Glronde. uni which is confirmed
by private letters thence. wag to the OBJECT that
at first tasting certain hafshness was obanrvod,
which might, be takcn for tho erceliness pro:
duced by doubtful rpening Of tho grape !; but
nj that rpenlhg las bcon everywhere perfect ito
oubt Ia felt That tlIo apparent grcenncss will be
| replaced rs tho vino trade ut Dordeaux, which
for como tn,o t.ad boou duh, begins to revive.
announced, aud It ia Thought certain TINT
greut comnlcrcsal activity will soon be manifest
as necessary consequence OF tho combination
u lue quality aud larSo quantity. Tho guam.
| tlty teuds to lower tito prices, while on tho
othor baud tho qunllty encourages speculation,
ninco roaily good wine in tho lung run IL uura
to find its value. una eau lurdiy leave loru II
not purchased Mt tho cxorhtant ::ratos to w.tc!s
| speculation sometimes drivos it up. According
to lilo most recont accounts. prices wero daily
| risi1lg iu tue Bordeaux tnNrkata in consequence
Of large purchases, especially for England and
Holland.
With respect to tho vintage in burgundy,
| received this morning hIa Interesting let:ol
some fine Vineyards III that splendid wine
! cou,ltry, aud .catlnot do better than hert
slightly oondense isa principal passagea writ
tol., although By Frenol'ma.', IN excellent
soon to paaa positive Judgment on tho nov
vino, which s ne yot scarcely cold, and not clear
| rI{er tho feGn,ontatiau. It!a gathering Of the
| ,rapeA began Oh tho 9ltll or oGsIl Of Hoptombe1
for cou,,,,o,i wincs, IN tho snountala alasyieta
wl,ero tho uow wine il yet scarcely PRESSED. TAt
viuoyattla producing the fno Nll'en il. tho Cott
d'Or. wAicl. IL tho very heart aud eoro of Bur
rm,tly oxtoud from Djjou southwark to ths
nolghhogluy department OF s"onc-et-l4otEo, O.
tic oast aldo only OF loug aud narrow rang'
of hills like tho spiial ho,io OF fsauco, a'1|
which Is tho dividing line Of tho plnyia! watan
between tho ocsal, aud tho Mediterranean. Fol
lowing tho iina of hllla, paratleI to Which tlts
traveller procoatls from Dillon tu Italy vim Mar
suslca. by tlo Paris, Lyona u Mediterranean
L,ue, atl The n.aa4 ro,lowncd vineyard. IN liar
common vino IL grown IN tho plain ut tile foo
of tue llils, alld also Oh tho woalorn slopes
| irAa 4t1N AiaGH ntl1a1tt Nnlf fiji