The evening times., 1900-01-01

The State Department has received iron
John c. Covert, United States Consul a
Lyons. France, a long communication re
garding the French wine croR. He write
as follows:
The reports thus far received from tn
wine-producing districts Of France. Al
geria, and Tunis promise a yield OF abou
LEGS .016,0O0 gallons in 1899. The organ
Of the wine growers differ slightly in thi
estimate Early frosts reduced the produc
tion in some districts, as in the Drome
where it was 3,962, GOO gallons in 1898 an'
S,500,000 gallons IN 1899.
The department OF the RhOne. in which
Lyons is situated, produced y, lS5, 500 gal.
Ions. two-thirds of which is known as
Beaujolais In the Gironde, the depart
ment in which Bordeaux is situated, the
yield is "a, ,3l5. 600 gallons against g., 239 0OC
gallons for 1898. In the Herault where a
very good quality of ordinary wine is
grown. the yield this year is 255, Oct. 72S
gallons, against 11S 1872 6e5 gallons in 1898
The department of the Eastern Pyrenees
yields $3.50, $50 gallons, against g. 427 ,00C
gallons in 1898.
Disposition of the surplus.
One Of the newspaper organs Of The
wine interests estimates that the surplus
production of 1899 over 1898 will be ab-
solbed in the following manner:
In home consumption. which : shown
by the taxes levied at the city gates upon
wines entering the different else Of Franc
u ne steadily increasing. The increase for
the first half of 1899 was IA 234. 762 gallons.
1t is believed TO be a moderate estimate
H. IL - -.
the cities Of France VIII be % 05S 700 gal
Ions in excess OF that Gf 1898.
There will be a larger consumption ia
The country than in the years of small har-
vest. An increased distillatioR for brandy
il is estimated that not less than 80, 9S4 000
gallons viii go into brandy of loo degree
proof. The average brandy product Of the
last nine years was 2045 l09 gallons. The
product this year is expected 10 reach
2,64l 700 gallons. The steady increase in
the annual production OF wine viii compel
producers 10 devote a larger percentage Of
their output TO brandy as they did thirty
and forty years ago, before the invasion OF
tbe phylloXera and the mildew.
The agriculturists OF France are devot-
ing more of their Ian. 10 wine growing at
present than at any time during the past
forty years. Stock raising and grape grow
ing are considered the two most profitable
pursuits for the farmer. / passed a few
days last summer in the Valley Of the
hone in the neighbOThOOd OF Nalence and
ST. Peray, where all the rich Hermitage
wine is grown and was taken through
thousands of acres that had been newly
planted with vines and shown stretches OF
mountain and hillside which viii all be an
de- cultivation in another year.
Cultivation the Mountains
''On the steep mountain sides. where
he 90
possible. rich vines are growing The soft
stone is first blasted. and after rec living
the rains OF TWO seasons. The vine is
planted ana produces highly-prized quail
fly OF white wine and the famous Her
mitsge brands. Half mile distant IN
The Valley OF the RhOne. the vine grows al
most spontaneously, but does not p-oducc
the same fine wine. A dozen different
varieties Of wines are produced on the hill
sides within an area OF two miles The
qualities depending upon the nature OF the
gruunG and the exposure 10 the sun.
while the production and the cons suTp-
tiou Of wine in France are steadily IN
erea~ing. the expectation is diminishinc
The quantity exported in 1887 was - 800 00u
gallons. In 1897, ten years later. l. had
fallen 10 ii, so Oe0 gallons
Wine growers were compensated for
thil shortage by an increase in prices The
%
s45, ,lo9.3ll; for 1897 il was S45 092 000.
These figures come from the customs Of
fcials. who, during the later years Of the
De- ade. placed higher valuation upon The
sparkling wines. which represented ,h zee
quarters OF the total exports
A notable change has also occurred in
the direction taken by exports. In 1857
they were almost equally divided between
Burope2n nations and the countries over
the seas. In 1897. three-fourths OF the ex-
ports were absorbed in Europe where the
number Of the consumers increased. and
the domestic product remained almost sta
tionary. The principal decline was in
Africa and the countries OF South America.
especially in the latter. where the wine
exports were Sl1.00l. 600 in 1887. ana only
s2.2Sl coo in 1898
The Value Of Drafting.
AT the meeting Of the National Arri-
cultural Society, reported in the journal
Oficiel' OF September 20 1899 il was set
forth as fundamental principle. never TO
o. lost sight of by French wine growers
that their success must in the future de- |
pend entirely upon grating. This prin- |
ciple is also applicable TO the VINE growers |
OF Spain. Italy. and perhaps some other /,
countries.
As nearly as ] can learn. il was about /
IN his high-grade vineyard a number of !
California vines. They took readily 10 the 1
French soil. sending forth tall and ctout
branches. rich in fruitaEe But IN pro
portion as they advanced. his own vines /
which had produced a very choice brand /
Of wine. began to wither and die An /
examination demonstrated that they were l
attacked and destroyed by an ininijesimaI 1
inject that multiplied with astonishing I
fspidity
From year TO year II spread. until h,lt
few vineyards in France were free from lis
raNages. II cost France more money than
the Franco prussiau war. Is devastation
continues. In the mean time. TIRE American
vines flourish ard pro iuce in abundance
where the others die. Upon ezamin zion !
IL was found that the sam, tiny p9rasi o 4
feested upon the America vines without /
inJuring them. the small Cicst ice that II
leaves being filled with sap and closed as |
soon as made.
The Vice President of the Agricultural
Society OF the Drome. Mr. Augu T. Tezirr 1
tells me that before this inset inysseG
France, the annual production e ire ras
1,5S5, 020 0C0 gallons on land surfaOe OF (
6,l71, 500 acres. Today h "a fac planted
is about 4.l02, ,000 acres. Every year the
area planted in vines Increases a,out 3n.C,c
acres.
1t is expected in a fc.. vea 5 TIA. the
production of the rc-Cl q ccsdiag The
Inactive Bowels.