III.

/The Vines of the Champagne and the System of Cultivation./

A combination of circumstances essential to the production of good Champagne--Varieties of vines cultivated in the Champagne vineyards--Different classes of vine-proprietors--Cost of cultivation--The soil of the vineyards--Period and system of planting the vines--The operation of 'provenage'--The 'taille' or pruning, the 'bêchage' or digging--Fixing the vine-stakes--Great cost of the latter--Manuring and shortening back the vines--The summer hoeing around the plants--Removal of the stakes after the vintage--Precautions adopted against spring frosts--The Guyot system of roofing the vines with matting--Forms a shelter from rain, hail, and frost, and aids the ripening of the grapes--Various pests that prey upon the Champagne vines--Destruction caused by the Eumolpe, the Chabot, the Bêche, the Cochylus, and the Pyrale--Attempts made to check the ravages of the latter with the electric light 140