The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-09-20

tTale OF commune WHO prOieclS scOuIBc,
capable of running great industry. deserves
a serious expiration. The poor peasants do
not understand that they will be recon-
pensed for all that they lose by the Govern
ment, and in order to conquer them troops
will be sent to this department.
Some of the vine-dressers say that phyl-
loxera has never existed, that great pro-
prietors wish to ruin those who are less
fortunate, and even when they see the earth
filled with the plague these obstinate ones
say, That is nothing"
The champagne vineyards are not only
attacked by phylloxera, but by mildew,
Dlackrot, odium, the harvest worm, and
what proprietors fear much, by hail. Last
week, in one day, there we're five hail
storms, and the damage to vineyards was
estimated at s., 000 900. A vineyard after
hail-storm presents very dllapldated ap-
pearance, for the leaves are torn and the
Irult crushed.
Viscount Chandon de Briailly, chief of
the house of Meet and Chandon, bias ordered
destruction of the vines in many of his vine
yards. and although his treatment for phyl-
lOXera is severe 1t is the best yet discovered.
Every sixty yards, at the depth of one foot,
is placed almost an ounce Of sulphurated
carbon. This destroys the roots OF the vine,
but at the same time phyllOXera disappears.
Last year the French Government sent
committee of savaDts to the Department of
the Marine in order to examine. study and
nurse the injured vines. Professor Doutte,
one Of the leading members OF the "Phyl-
loxera Committee" gave many lectures on
the subject and recommended the "eXtlnc-
ton method is, the pulling up of
affected vines-and the sulphurated carbon
treatment. Because of Professor Dohtte's
studies and reports the Government takes
must energetic measures this year, but per-
hapS there are measures even more heroic,
for the situation is critical one. We
were deprived of a portion of 1905 vintage,
and in all probability shall lose all that Of
1891.
The vineyards in all departments are in
the same condition. In the Aude and the
Herault there is phylloxera; in the Dor
dogne there is not only phylloxera, but
delais there was little hope had August
been warm, but August is the coolest month
OF the season; in tho Bouches-du-R hone
there is phylloxera and midew-so that for
this year Algeria is the only prospect for
France.
And Algeria is marvel, for until now
we supposed everything there had been de-
stroyed by crickets, but Algeria, already
the wheat-feld of France. bids fair to be-
come her vineyard, and we are awaiting the
vintage.
This year wines will certainly be counter
II
obliged to drink very expensive adulterated
wines or do without champagne altogether.
In the department of the Gironde Amer
lean vines are grated. and it is hoped that
in this way only two or three years vintage
will be lost. 1t is said that an American
plant, grated on French vine, always
gives results in less than three years.
The Duchess de FitZ-James, whoI pos
sesses superb vineyards south of Bordeaux,
and who is called one of the most illustrious
viiculturists of France, believes that it is
impossible to arrest phyloXera in its deadly
march" The Duchess says sit is abso-
lutely necessary to live with the enemy that
submits only when one has renowned all
attempts at expulsion" In other words,
she believes 1t is better TO recOnStitute the
champagne vineyards entirely by planting
American vines, and in this way, she thinks,
phylloxera would disappear. According
to the Duchess the experiments of eXtermi-
mating contaminated vines will not destroy
phylloxera. but simply transfer its ravages
from one vineyard to another.
1t may not be generally known that 100,-
600 gallons of champagne are made in the
province Of that name each year. The
vineyards that produce this quantity cover
a surface of about 81, 900 acres. Some years
there has been produced enough to fill
60,000,000 bottles. and three-Quarters of this
amount has been sent out of France. AL
though champagne and other sparkling
wines are white, they are often made from
black grapes and owe their qualities to the
care of the viDe-dresser much more than to
the soil that produces the grapes.
The first sparkling champagne was made
by the husband of the famous ,Veuye Clio
quot-Ponsardin, for when the French
Court made the wines of Ay and Sillery the
fashion, champagne was red and not spark
ling.
Only at the end of the last century did
Clicquot, the small banker and wine mer-
chant, teach this wine how to foam. When
he died in 1905 his widow was only 81 years
old, but she was thorough woman of bust
ness and knew how to make her house
prosperous. When in 1914 the Russians oc-
cupied Rheims they learned to appreciate
Clicquot wines, and from that time the
family brand became the favorite cham
payne of Russia. Veuve Clicquot was 80
years old when she died, and since then
Count Werle and his sons are the proprie-
tors of Veuve Clicquot champagne.
The cellars of the Veuve ClirQuot COM
pany are on the site of building Nat be-
longed to the Templars. and those who pass
never dream that under their feet are
hundreds of men occupied in shaking, wax
ing, corking trying and packing thousands
of bottles of champagne destined for all
parts of the civilized world.
The house of Meet and Chandon was
founded in the time of the revolution by
Jean-Remy Meet aud Josephine Napoleon,
and Bernadotte visited him in his domain at
Epernay.
In modern times Nine. Pommery was the
Veuve Cliequot, for her intelligence was
remarkable and her success unparalleled.
The Pommery cellars in Rheims avenue,
hewn out of chalk and with their streets
and squares, resemble subterranean city.
Above the cellars Nine. Pommery built a
palace, in which she never lived, tor she
preferred her castle of Chigny designed by
herself But in all probability there will be
little accomplished in these wonderful Gel
lars for two or three years to come, because
we may not have much wine this year. nor
much in the year to follow The phylloxera
will Increase in spite of the struggle against
it and the prestige of great brands will be
ruined, while that Of others will be comprO-
missed.
If, as the peasants. we deny phylloXera
We shall be like the ostrich that considers
itself In no danger if its head be underlits
wing. BARONESS ALTHEA SALVADOR.