36 / 102
extent,
due
to
nieteorological
erïects
and
to
herbivorous
Terrain
which
tend
to
destrov
the
fruit
of
ni
an'
s
labor.
The
last
century
gave
us
sonie
very
line
yintages,
aniongst
which
the
years
1811,
1834,
1865
and
1893
were
excellent
in
quality
and
quantity.
The
last
fire
or
six
years
hâve
yielded
hardly
any
crop
at
ail,
and
were
alniost
a
total
failure.
Eich
old
wines
were
nursed
with
great
skill
in
the
German
cities
by
the
employées
of
the
city
council
and
were
dispensed
in
the
council
cellar
in
olden
tinies.
Yea,
wine
had
the
quality
of
being
used
as
currency,
and
fines
on
miscreants
were
iniposed
in
such
a
way
that
the
culprit
had
to
pay
one
or
more
ohms
of
wine
of
a
certain
vintage.
To-day
almost
every
German
city
has
a
Eathskeller
(coun-
cil
cellar
)
situated
in
the
basement
of
the
city
hall,
and
there
the wine,
in
goblets
of
crystal,
causes
often
the
partakers
of
a
f
east
to
sing
with
Mathias
Claudius
:
"Drink
to
the
Ehine
!
And
every
coming
inorrow
Be
mirth
and
m
a
sic
thine
î
And
when we
meet
a
child
of
care
and
sorrow,
We'll
send
him
to
the
Ehine."