Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-02-26
WINE GROWING IN FRANCE.
Last Years Vintage = Ravages of the
PhylIoxara

--S~Se<~s
The Moniiem' Vinicole, OF Paris, has Just
compiled and printed the results of last
years vintage in France, as compared with
the wine production of former years,
statement which has decided interest as
indicating what great industrial changes
may be brought about by what might seem
at first to be Insignificant causes. The
total quantity of wine ma lie last year is es-
timated to be more than 677 900 900 gal
Ions, as against sac, 000, 600 gallons in 1887.
and 553,000,000 gallons in 1886. But
while notable increase is thus shown in
this product, the total amount of wine
made last year is far below the average of
the last twelve years. Indeed, the increase
Of 1888 has been confined to thirty-seyen
out OF seventy-seven departments into
which France is divided, there being a
more or less marked decrease in the forty
Others. In the Gironde, where the Bor-
deaux wines are made, an increase in
product of $50 per cent. is noted, while in
the champagne and Burgundy districts
the yield of last year is only about one
half of that of the year previous.
But, In order to prove how great the
change has been in this form Of French
industry, it should be said that the annual
average yield in the four years from 1875
to 1873, inclusive, was 1,250,00O,O0O GAL
Ions, while the annual average yield of
the four years from 1885 to 1888. inclusive.
was 604, 100000 gallons, showing a falling
off in this interval of more than so per
cent. This change has been largely. if
not wholly, due to the ravages of the
phylloxera, the little insect said to have
been originally imported from America,
which, by devouring the roots of the vine,
either kill it or prevent its productivity.
lnnumerable methods have been adopted
to destroy this pest. The Government
has offered enormous rewards to any one
who can discover sure preventive, but
thus far no certain means has been found.
In large number of instances the owners
Of vineyards have rooted up their vines
and have replanted their lands with
hardy plants obtained from America. But
while for time the results of such a
| change have been beneficial, it is asserted
that in many instances the vines become
less hardy in the French soil, and then,
like their predecessors, can no longer re-
sist the attacks of the phylloxera.
The annual loss thus occasioned is SIM
ply enormous, for few years ago France
produced more wine than all of the rest OF
Europe put together, while now the an
nual average production is only triffe
more than that of either Italy or Spain.
Indeed, the repeated failures of the vint-
age IN France have led to the increased
cultivation of the grape in these two last
named countries, since The consumption of
wine in France is very great, and the de-
mand has to be met from foreign sources.
Last year there were nearly 100000, 900
gallons of wine imported into France. Of
this 100000 gallons came from Spain,
and about 100000 each from Italy,
Portugal and Algeria In 1875 the i'm
portations of wine were only 100000 gal
Ions, while the expectations were more
than 100000 gallons, but, as we have
just said, the importations last year were
exceedingly large, while the expectations
were only about half as large as they were
in 1878.
Even the expectations do not make as
good showing as in former years, because
there is every reason for believing that
chemical manipulations have, to quite a
degree, taken the place of natural produc-
ton. Wine has been made in France from
raisins, currants and the lees of the wine
press, and quite quantity of this spurious
product has been shipped abroad, IN the
hope that foreign consumers will have les
critical palates than native purchasers.
The actual loss to the country by the
ravages of the phylloxera is one which
has been variously estimated. The vine
yards cover Az per cent. of the surface of
France, and are one of its chief sources of
agricultural wealth. In the matter of ex-
portation, in years past, wines have ranked
next to silk stuffs and wooden stufis, some
times showing an exportable value of $780,
600 per annum. OF course, this includes
some very high-priced wines, but it is
probable that, on an average, the loss to the
agriculturists of France in the difference
between their vintage of twelve, thirteen
and fourteen years ago, as compared with
tho7e of recent years, would be equivalent
to quite 100000, 900 per annum, an enor-
nous shrinkage to endure, particularly
when carsed by an insect which one
would suppose might be destroyed by the
resources which modern science has at its
COMMUNICATIONS Herald.