grego, or thick shaggy great-coat, with a hood, which gives them a very wild and barbarous appearance. There are also about the harbour some few Maltese, of a superior class, such as the port-captains, the officers of the Sanctà, and others, who imitate the English; but it is easy to distinguish them, not only by their dingy countenances, but by their broad cocked hats, large silver buckles, and other artic.es of dress, by no means of the newest London mode. Before the present war with Turkey, the Greeks, whose ships frequented this port, added greatly to the diversity of the scene. They were a race of men exceedingly distinguishable from the others, tall and commanding in mien, with long mustachios and bushy hair: on the crown of the head they wore a small red skull-cap, with a black silk tassel; often a flower stuck behind the ear, and always a rosary depending from the neck; with loose jackets and broad trowsers, the leg being bare from the knee downwards. At a still earlier period, one might have seen here the natives of every nation trading in the Mediterranean; Russians, Swedes, Danes, Americans, Spaniards, Italians, Dalmatians, Ragusans. These indeed, bore in their dress and personal appearance no very striking characteristicks; but the various forms of their shipping, and colours of their pendants, gave an additional liveliness and picturesque effect to the harbour. The events of the war have unfortunately banished most of the foreign flags; but have by no means limited, in an equal degree, the trade which they used to carry on at Malta. Circuitous modes of conveyance are now found out; and though no doubt the ty rannical edicts of the oppressor of Europe have loaded commerce with numberless difficulties and impediments, yet unless he should attain an absolutely unlimited controul over every part of the continent, and should continually direct the most severe and vigilant attention to this single object, means would undoubtedly be discovered to carry on a contraband trade, for which the situation of Malta is so peculiarly favourable.

The Maltese must be the most stupid people on the face of the earth, if they did not know how to appreciate the value of Englisis protection; not only by the thriving state of their own affairs, but by the contrast with the misery and ruin which the French system has entailed on all the great emporia, from Petersburg to Con

French General has been planted, mer castile prosperity has instantly withered. Dantzic, Hamburge, Amsterdam, of which the Maltese must have heard as places famous throughout ages, for commercial wisdom and greatness, groan under exactions too heavy to be endured. The little state of Ragusa, in their own neighbourhood, which they have seen gradually rising into eminence by a strict attention to its mercantile and maritime interests, has been at once beggared and laid waste. Odessa and Trieste, fostered by the special care of their respective sovereigns, the Russian and Austrian Emperors, have been reduced, by merely coming within the vortex of French in fluence, to a state of bankruptcy. The Maltese, who of late years have traded frequently to the Adriatic and the Black Sea, must be struck with the fate of these two places; but still more must they congratulate themselves on observing, that their own port, formerly of no account in commerce, is now a scene of far greater activity and profit, than either Genoa, Naples, Venice, or even that famous centre of Mediterranean traffic, Leghorn.

These are circumstances which tend to attach the Maltese strongly to the English government. There are other powerful motives to the same sentiments but in perceiving their own palpable and immediate interest, these islanders are sufficiently sharp-sighted. I cannot better illustrate this, than by a remark which was made to me by one of the most intelligent of their chief magistrates. "Most of the towns-people, (said he) who used to wear caps, have now hats; those whom I remember walking on foot, now ride; they who had formerly an ass or mule, now keep their calesses, (the coach of the country) and all this within the course of the five or six years that the English have been here. On the contrary, the French not only put an end to all our trade, but broke up our very fishing-boats for fire-wood. Is it possible that we should not draw an inference in favour of England, from such comparisons?"

For the Monthly Magazine. MEMOIR upon the VINEYARDS and WINES of CHAMPAGNE in FRANCE, in ANSWER to certain QUERIES, circulated by M. CHAPTAL. From LES ANNALES DE CHIMIE.

2

Haute

Haute-Marne, has been long celebrated as the vineyard of France.

There are two kinds of wines which distinguish this district.

White wines called Riviere de Marne

wines.

Red wines: called Montagne de Rheims wines.

The white wines are produced from vineyards situated in the valleys and upon the sides of the hills in Epernay, Dizy, Avenay, Cramaut, Lemesnil, Monthelon, Chouilly, Moussy, &c. but in consequence of one of those varieties of nature, for which we cannot always account, the estate of Cumieres, in the midst of so many vineyards celebrated for white wines, and under the same exposure, produces red wines only, and of a quality far superior to the above wines.

Among all the vineyards on the river Marne, the cantons of Hautvillers, Mareuil, Cumieres, and Epernay, are the most advantageously situated: they ex. tend along the river Marne, with this distinction, that the quality of the wine falls off in proportion as the vineyard is distaut from the river: for this reason Hautvillers and Ay have always enjoyed a preference over Epernay and Pierry; and the latter over Cramant, Lemesnil, &c. and these last over Monthelon, Moussy, &c.

South exposures produce upon the banks of the Marne excellent white wines, but their declivities and posterior parts, whichare called the mountains of Rheims, although situated in general towards the north, and almost always to the east, also yield red wines of a good quality, and of a fine taste and aromatic flavour.

The slope which overhangs Rheims is divided according to the quality of its wines; hence we have wmes of the mountain, of the lower mountain, and of the estate St. Thierry,

The lower mountain comprehends a great quantity of vineyard countries; among which we may distinguish Chamery, Ecueil, and Ville Demange: this last place in particular, when the season is good, yields wine which will keep for ten or twelve years.

The lower mountain extends to the banks of the river Aisne. As the wines. it produces are of a middling quality, it scarcely requires to be particularized.

The district of Saint Thierry, com、 prehends a large extent of grounds, containing large vineyards, such as Saint Thierry, Trigny, Chenay, Villefranquex, Douillon, Hermonville, which produce very agreeable red wines of a pale colour, very much in request among the dealers.

But the wine properly called Clos Saint Thierry, and coming from the archbishopric of Rheims, is the only wine which unites the rich colour and flavour of Burgundy to the sparkling lightness of Champagne, Clos Saint Thierry, holds the same rank among Champagne wines, that Clos-rougeot does among those of Bur gundy.

In the enumeration of the vineyards of the mountain, some readers may perhaps expect to find Sillery mentioned, once so remarkable for red and white wines the truth is, that Sillery wine is in a great measure composed of the wines produced in the territories of Verznay, Mailly, and Saint Basle, once made, by a particular process, by the marechale d'Estries, and for this reason long known by the name of l'ins de la Marechale. At the revolu tion this estate was divided, and sold to different rich proprietors of Rheims : the senator of Valencia, however, the heir to a great part of this vineyard, neglects no means of restoring Sillery to its former reputation.

Series of Questions put by M. Chaptal, with their Answers.

Which is the most advantageous Exposure for the Vine?

The most advantageous exposure for the vine is, without contradiction, the south and the east; but it has been ascer tained that certainadvantages of soil and the nature of the plant must also concur : otherwise various districts, such as Da mery, Vanteuil, Reuil, &c, with the same exposure and climate, and also watered by the Marne, would enjoy the same ce lebrity as Cumieres, Hautvillers, and Ay. It must be confessed that the former districts produce inferior kinds of wine; but

it remains to be decided whether we ought to ascribe this difference to the culture, the plants, or the soil.

II. Are the high Exposures, the middle Elevations, or the lower Grounds, best adapted for Vineyards?

Of all situations, the middle grounds are most esteemed: the heat being more concentrated in them, they are exempt from the variations of the atmosphere which prevad on eminences, and from the humidity and exhalations which issue from the lower regions; the elaboration of the sap or juice is therefore more complete in the middle grounds..

III. Does an East or West differ much from a South Exposure, in occasioning a sensible Difference in the Quality of the Wines?

A western exposure is unfavourable to vegetation: it burns and parches without any advantage, nor does it give time for the juice to be elaborated, and spread through all the channels of vegetation, when mists, humidity, or dew, succeed: it is a certain fact, that there is a difference of one third in the quality and value between vines situated in east and west exposures.

IV. Describe the Nature of the Ground or Sail which produces the best Wine. Next to exposure, the nature of the sod and of the ground influences the quality of the wine. It must be admitted, however, that grounds with a northern exposure produce wines of a generous and spirituoas description; while another exposure, perhaps to the south, yields a poor and common sort of wine. It is therefore to the salts and the juices of the earth, combined with the influence of the atmosphere, that we must ascribe the goodness and qualities of soils adapted for rilevards.

The most proper soil for vines is a sandy granitic earth, neither compact, nor too thick, nor clayey: frequently in the best exposures, we meet with stony sails, which give very strong wines; but warm and dry seasons are requisite in these cases, and a necessary maturity: beneath these stony soils, there are clayey and unctuous parts, and plenty of springs, which conduce to the elaboration of the juce.

In general throughout Champagne the boils proper for vines rest, upon banks of chalk. The vine, indeed, comes up slowly in this kind of soil, but when it has fairly take root it grows to perfection: the heat of the atmosphere is tempered and modified by the coolness of the chalky MontuLY MAG. No. 182.

beds, the moisture of which is constantly sucked up by the vegetative channels of the vine-plant.

CULTIVATION OF THE VINE.

V. How is the Vine planted? In November or December, when the season admits of it, the vine is planted by making an oblong hole or furrow, one foot and a half in depth, by two or three feet in length: the plant is introduced into it and covered with earth.

VI. What is the Way in which the
Shoots are made?

The plants are inserted into turfs, or in longuettes. The longuette is a mere naked twig, which had been left the year preceding, and which is now carefully raised and detached, leaving the young roots behind it.

The turf-plant, or marcotte, consists in digging up a turf in the marshes, and introducing into it in spring, by means of a hole made in the middle of the turf, the longuette or slip intended to be planted: this shoot with its earthy appendage is then fixed in the ground, sloping it as usual: the root is formed in the course of the year, and with a pruning-knife the longuette is cut close to the top of the shoot, and they are then removed by men, or on the backs of animals, in order to be afterwards planted: this last way is the most expensive, but it is the surest, and advances the vine very fast in respect to vegetation

One hundred longuettes or bare slips> cost four or five livres, and turf plants cost from 12 to 14 livres.

But as two longuettes are requisite for each hole or furrow, when they plant in: this way there is a trifling saving, al. though the other method is far prefer able.

VII. Is Grafting advantageous?

Grafting is not in general use, except in the vines belonging to the vine-dressers themselves, and in the large plant :. these vines when grafted become yellow, and languish. The graft remains for some years exposed to the air, humidity, and to. bad management of the labourer, and in short to all the intemperance of the climate.

VIII. How long does a good Vine Plant last ?

A good vine-plant lasts 50 or 60 years, and frequently longer, according to the care which has been taken of it.

A vine-plant is deteriorated generally by the bad management of the vine-dres- » sers with respect to the shoots or slips: if they are not sunk deep enough in the

T

ground,

XIII. How many Eyes are left in the

X. Is the Black Grupe preferable to the White?-State the Cause of this Superiority.

There is not much variety in the grapes of Champagne.

The black are generally preferred to the white grapes for several reasons: in the first place, the black grapes resist much better the rains and frost so common about

vintage time. Secondly, because there is nore vinosity and fineness in the black grape, and it gives more of what is called body to the wine : the white on the contrary is too mucilaginous, renders the wine soft, and exposes it to become yellow,

or to thicken.

There are whole cantons, however, such as Chouilly, Cranfant, Avise, Bisseuil, &c. where there are but very few black grapes, and yet their wine is in high estimation. XI. Which of the Exposures is most sub

ject to the Hoarfrosts of Spring? The effects of frost are only to be feared at sunrise: the eastern exposures are consequently most apt to suffer, although it has been ascertained that vine-plants freeze in every exposure.

Thus, all the preservative methods hitherto indicated, such as fumigations, or poles armed with long branches of foliage capable of being agitated by the air, are mere reveries of the imagination: they have been employed indeed in small enclosures; but they never preserved a single cluster of grapes, and are incapable of beng applied to a large vineyard. XIL At what Period is the Vine to be pruned?

About the end of February or beginning of March, the most essential operation must be performed, namely, that of cutting the plant. When it is very strong, two branches or stumps only are left.

Plant?

Three eyes upon each branch: when the vine is weak, one branch only is cut

XIV. At what Height from the Ground is the Piant pruned?

When the plant is young and the rind is not marked with old prunings, the plant is cut at the height of three or four inches: the vine dressers cut bigher, because they frequently cultivate three branches, and leave four eyes. XV. To what lleight is the Vine allowed

to rise ?

Not higher than a foot and a half,—to avoid dilating the sap too much,

XVI. At what Season does the first Ope

ration in the Vineyards commence ? After having pruned the vine, the first operation is that of hoeing: this consists in digging up the earth around. the plants, so as to uncover their roots for a moment, and detach the earth from them which may have become clotted; the hoe being always inserted into the earth about a foot from the plant.

At the end of March, or beginning of April, when the thaws have softened the ground, the hoeing comunences. XVII. What is the Period of Planting by Slips or Cuttings?

This kind of planting is performed at the time when the vine is planted. XVIII. In what Manner is this Kind of Planting managed ?

In pruning, the vine-dresser reserves, inshe barest and most sterile places, certain slips, upon which he leaves only twoor three stalks, according to the strength of the slip: the hole or furrow being made, the slip is gently inclined, by disengaging the roots, aud by means of a pair of tongs the stalks are held while placing in the furrow, at from four to six inches distance from each other: the slip being thus fixed at the depth of a foot or thereabout, a hand-basketfull of manure is thrown at the root of the ship; the hole is then filled up with natural earth in a loose manner, in order to admit of the two or three stalks sending out their shoots without being bruised.

XIX. Hoe many Operations are there to be performed between the Pruning and the Vintage Season?

The prunings being over, as the same · vines are not pruned every year, and even in those which have been pruned the earth has not been thoroughly stirred, the vines are trimmed at the beginning of May this trimming is called labourage ma

bourgeon,