The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-11-13
THE VINEYARDS OF COGNAC
UHEREPURE BR4SDYIs DISTILLED
F'ROM PURE VINE.
Peasant Proprictors who Hope for Only One
Child - Laree Tortuncs Made from tho
Grape-Thc Vintage Of the Ycnr 1S76.

From the Piu Han Gdseae
At Jonzac, the most southern of the Cog,
nnc brandy entrcp0is. tho vines have suffered
consequence The VINTAGE Is more satisfactory;
still the crop IL under half ~ ~ average one u
sunices, however to give plenty OF employment
10 tho prcs A. houses In The outskirts Of the town.
where carts with well hllcd cuves are continually
odor OF The vintage the itch fruty ,inous smell
Of newly crushed rrnpcs TN wages pald 10 the
the Cognac brandy region. The men dong
tho heavy work get irom two and ,ha,i
while women employed as pickers receive
roupie of francs, and children franc aud under.
for the vintage operations. but In seasons ~
great abundance. bands of Nintagcrs come from
a distance to offer their services. Hired laborers
nre II may hc not 3D. tnr, ia the Deus Charcntes,
where small holdings are perhaps more preya-
family hope ot the peasant proprietor are re-
patch ~ land may MOI he divided and nobody -
expected to have more. These peasant pro-
ducnfS of cau-dc-,ic, without unduly stinting
tbom.elyc. arc great savers and smali suenders,
class really large fortunes being far
from uncommon among them. Foresight
thon simple thrift. Whenever there was an
abundant VINTAGE. instead of parting with their
wine 10Y nominal price, they distilled u. which
enabled them g. pack IL away in small space
only to bring the bulk Of it to- light after sue
cc--iun of bud years when prices had risen i'm
mcn.oly. Tho tharentc wine grower, generally
cultivate their own vineyards with the aid 81
hwd labor the wages laid vary from francs
so 3 francs % day. according u.s. tie men are or
Snr' 'D from u ~ 10 franSs psT hecarc
mearl ~ gcrg-i Tor IN. annual work required
~ their Vineyards. exclusive, of course Of the
There are three kinds Of vine, ards in The Cha
rcnic brandy region Known rernnEsnNsy as
",irne. atrr'-. IN q, Of them The vines are
planted go row. and in ihe arst named ihcy are
nrc usually crl'hat'd by hand labor, though
when tine row. nrN Vince arc sufficiently wide tho
PLOUGH {. nan tr.HttN ti,m previous To the
ground nc'n. ao-encd. mo tisnc- en- olltes
c9ns-t % lon; narrow nv "t 'and ctlssn.,d
Or 80 ns ing -lE Of GROUND Sown With
yar's. which are most common in the Grande
Champaign. district. the ,inDs - q rule are
planted rather wide apaft. The v'rncs hruf-
wide. namely. frrm i've 10 Sis feet to admit ~
",eu with 4 plough pa sing between. In al the
NncyMd il'' ''ue-' with scarcely an exception
i, isthc soilof ttc Vineyards in the Crande
and Pcutc Champagne districts which con-ii-
nroina ~ the lric-t cla -- hraudcs i- exclusive
~ due. Thi. -Dilil rndqalD rlNcy and ninty
rnc' re.iinr ,.n - hc,! Of rilt or lime ston, and
occasionally of mari. Around Cognac and i,ar-
.ficnx whom nant.as The lines. the earth j.
lug from twelve Goo cight''u inthce deep. \
ioi. q foot or NOR, Co., d,pih i- then dihhel and
ihc shoot thrust i'm. Round about Angoulemr,
.np, wntinrn hnle iu the ground 90 receive
The shoot lnc tour., ~ gu tNe Mcfth ~ the
producing an Indifferent wire aid one VII %
will not hrcu "~sil,N hcctr-' no care s. bee
spirit which J. wi;houi - rival ia the world. Tho
vine has long iuuted sicu-. the leaves are rather
broad In shape, and ~ a rira green tint the
punches ~ grapes are short aud COMPACT the
berries heine round, - the middle sllc and ~ a
pale yeilowish green tng,- aui having decided
acidulou- taste. The Follr blanche will grow AT
nllatiiude> and 10 almost any Kind Of soil II
Is little sensible e. frost aud fc,i,;s the "cuul-
IRE or falling Of me irui, from Unreasonable
"eaihrr d'H,us The aimn,s season. In the
ire-h son i-htil,d {" ~ vineyards. while about
Barbc1ieu. rnd NrF'nitur scar, Is auN manure
Is used, but fresh earth De- lie GENTLY added.
Nruhu >"i nf" II 10 we l'rf'il" Z" manure
the strips of land iu which vegetables or grain
are grown every Two or three Nears. aud to spread
h-mali portion ~ ms manure around the vines.
In fairly good seasons the average Weld ~ tho
.larcnto vineyards Is within Attract ion Of IN gal.
ions per acre almost the highest rate 81 vineyard
production In all France. The VINEYARDS around
Sosnac are ne most Irohac' rroducinea third
turn yield "a third rore than those Of An.
However di.houcstly disposed TIVE Charcnte
brandy di.fillor- ma, he. they can only adult
terate their produce with the tui knowedge Of
Their nc.shh"ts. Al vince ana spirits need an
oincihl authorization TO be moved about in
France, and geo dIstiller b. the Chererte could
everybody knowingly II. The adul,cration. there
fore. 81 cru-de-1ic dc Coenac must he CON para
lively rare among H. producers, for any 81 them
receiving law siiut would speedily become
marked men and hnd them elN"' excluded
shipfcr- n sfruds o. rr.aou tl1t II the latter
desired 90 hnvc rcoluge" 40 brandy aiuiterntcd
potitoe-. lert-ro0t. or jerusalem artichok,.-
thcS would prrtrl to mntc thc mi.ture them-
rharcnte FARMERS as !. lod, i- mat ihoy iuyari-
ABLY try 90 chrlt intending Iur, hl-fr- cour"rn-
Ing the n-c ni tfrir hraLdir,. pa.-in, on ia 49,,
ul l-i n- oi l,-l Uses a- lsi.i, AID nun. Al ihe
present Wnurrl tho r..e taey demand for
brand - fne year s is a; the rate of irac-
None 81 tao SHINY .dirl their own brandy,
NOT even .NN INiliNU 90 itt thrv llt tiny
81. ..f t...ttf ...f