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Show VI VI Of the Damage that Fruit-Trees do to Vines. But one may fayin the general, of all the good Auvernats of this Country, that they If Trees planted round about Vineyards ought to have always one Point of Green when they are gathered, particularly when the don’t fail to hurt them, as has been before remarked, there is no doubt but that they will prejudice them much more, when they they grew have been fat, or very much dunged: For it is not fufficient, when one are planted in them. And altho’ fome Advantage may be made of Fruit-Trees, neverthelefs they fhould never be planted in Vineyards, becaufe they never do better than when they are alone, and well cultivated ; and for this Reafon nothing but Vines fhould be planted in them, efpecially not Peaches or wild Quince-Trees ; which fhould rather ferve for Hedges, than to make Profit of ; for thefe Trees planted in a Vineyard, eat and dry the Earth as far as they reach, and the Grapes that are under them have always lefs Tafte, and ripen with more Difficulty than the other ; becaufe thefe Trees fhade them, and hinder them from enjoying the Heat of the Sun, andthe beneficent Influences of the Heavens. And befides, when the Seafon of the Maturity of thefe Fruits approaches, and alfo oftentimes before that Time, the Vignerons, their Wives, their Children, &c. fling at the Pear-Trees, Props which they pluck from the Vineyard, which cannot be done without breaking a great many Shoots, and the Props bruifing the Grapes, and fpoiling the fallow Ground all-round about thefe Trees, by trampling it. If a Perfon will have Trees in his Vineyard, he fhould plant none but Winter Fruit, becaufe thefe are commonly not gather’d "till after the Vintage, then there would be fewer Inconveniencies to be feared ; bur yet it would be better to plant them any where elfe than in the Vineyards, Walnut-Trees ought never to be plantedin a Vineyard ; for they are the mott prejudicial ofall. The Ofier alfo does great Injury to Vines, and efpecially when it has a large Stock ; becaufe being very large, the Roots mutt alfo neceflarily be large, and extendedin Proportion, which, without doubt, is prejudicial to Vines ; for thofe which are near to thefe Stocks, have commonly flender, corrupted Wood, and bear very little Fruit, and that bad-conditioned. Of the Gathering the Vintage. The Vintage of the Auvernats being the moft precious of all thofe which we have to make in this Plot of Vineyards; in order to have good Wine, we ought to attend the Ma- turity of the Grapes. And as there are certain Soils, where the Grapes having been cut alittle too green, are too much fermented in the Vat, and others, on the contrary, cut very ripe, are but little fermented, which keep the better ; itis abfolutely neceflary, that thofe who have thofe Vine- yards do carefully apply themfelves to be acquainted with the Quality of their Ground. Year has been hot, and the would have good Wine, Lands where fhould be Baskets, eit to cut the Grapein vy letting them remain lJefs 'Time or the Inconvenience that thofe of that drink too much of it eafy Thing for them to remedy felves; they nk lefs of it, and it rains, though many are not very fcrupulous then it would not incommode the as to this Point ; for they fay, the Wine will fell never the worfefor it. I own that it may fometimes happen fo, but it ought to be allow’d me, that it has a bad Quality. One ought alfo to fee to it, that the Dew that falls often very plentifully Seafon, As an’t do without them, bu they did formerly either to put off their Colour, or that have { weak Wines, Gatherers begin their Work very late, and thering. As for Example: When no Rain has fallen for along Time, and the Grapes have been fo fhrivelled by the Heat, that there is fearce any thing but Grape Stones, and a tough, thick Skin; if one fhould gather them then, they would yield but very little Wine, and alfo it might turn to a Tartnefs, as it happened, for the moft part, to the Red Wines of the Year 1718. which was extraordinary hot and dry. So then we ought not to gather the Grapes fo foon as the Rain that we have waited for is fallen, becaufe the Grapes ought to have Time to have the Advantage of it, which may be known when the Berries growlarge, andfall upon the Ground. As to the other Plants, red or white, they may be gathered with lefs Precaution ;_ but they muft always have their Degree of R nefs, according to the different Lands of a whichthe Vineyards are planted. When there are found among the 4” nats, Vines whofe Grapes do not appear to D& fufficiently ripe, or of a different Kind from the reft, thefe ought to be left, that they mY grow riper; and thefe muft not be put in the laft Vat, or be mingled with the 0 Wine of a worfe Quality: This cannot render it the better, as well as the 4. becaufe it will be finer; for it wi he to drink Wa Jefs of it, then it would inftead of wearing his I his Spirits. Thus, when one i yf ffe&ts from our Wines, it is not from lity that they proceed, but from iantity, which People know not howto engntly. If any of our Wines are undrink will not t caufe, ‘s, but only fo if thefe Wines which ur, and Strengt e Time, it is certa here is n , who h ; nothing to be leave off fome Hours before Sun-fet, and the Wine is the better for it. It is true, that fometimesit is good to wait for the falling of the Rains, but this ought to be fome Weeks, or at leaft many Days before the Vintage, and not in the Time of Ga- Example: Agua < one ; when the without dom, as in Burgundy, and other Places, where the Wines have fo great Reputation, they don’t gather their Vintage, but during the fineft Part of the Day; that is to fay, the for Juantity as W her Places, een thofe who have endeavoured Wines of our Vineyard Red Wines. In the mean time hat thofe who {peak of ther be entirely diffipated, and that there be no Dew either upon the Grapes or the Leaves of the Vines; for it is found by Experience, that for the little Quantity of Water thereis in this Sort of Wine, it lofes a great deal of its Quality, Therefore the Seafon cannot be too fine for cutting the Auvernats, for this Reafon; in a great many Vineyard Potsin this King- have, be their Fault, this is , ‘tis but accidental, and may be its Degree of Maturity, but he mutt take a fit Seafon to do this in: as thus; one ought neither to begin nor continue to gather when in this e vended to any Advanta ed with others. if the Harfhnef& of tl more worth in having a little the lefS, and not to be made with any thing but Auveruats and alfo thofe well-condition‘d. : there are green Grag le without ° ‘2 a have much Strer to tk Wine t hat have 200d sles as their Off the Curiofity to drink a al, and without So- ch are yearly made, and great Quantit Vines, both Red and WI which they ar Time befo port them from I lefs of the V to our Vineya } ir Advantage there. th make good Wine, fit to drink as foon as and which alfo will hold good 1 aany Yearsafter: ‘Thus ment but a , and leave others ¢1 , I confets, to gut this Harfhnefs r Quality, only become good a 5, Fc. wl t become fifteen or eighteen Months 1 1 ¥, n made; s yet they there Wine that may be drank » after it has been tunt |
