Sm,—It is much to be regretted that' we have once again to refer to the generally unsatisfactory results of this year's Vintage, throughout Europe, owing to the" extra ordinary weather that has prevailed with hardly "an exception in the'wine-producing countries and. elsewhere. We—subjetn particulars France. "es Borveavx.—Hard frosts in Spring" and very many disastrous thunder storms in the Summer greatly reduced the quantity of the 4903 Vintage, while the product is far me forer to that of previous years; in some few districts in which the vines have, not been so much exposed to the weather as decent' wine' ha#' beer: made possessing a sufficient degree' of iookol, and it is to be"hoped "thatthe Gisappear. " The oficial "'statistics always ess the wine: now: shows: will know that the Chincee, as a race, are so] git ison' by the French Government as to the total quantity of wine produced, in the ready to welcome those changes."
The "Guests" were toasted in an amiable speech by Sir Thomas Sutherland and the response came from Earl Perey, the newly-appointed Under-Secretary for Foreign Afairs. Earl Perey was in no apologetic mood and did not hes-state to say. that he.was surprised that the charge should.so- frequently be levelled against: the Foreign. fico, of apathy and indifference to British trade in general, and to railway construction in particular. In China the British Go-yernment had no Administrative respon-
Bordeaux districts have not yet, bean given for 1903. In 1902 the. total namber hogsheads. produced was "stated to': "be The' quantity' of -wittmade ed from a third to'one-half of a full Vintage present' we" can' only approximately judge: of the' quality,' the Sines having bad to endure-most capricious and irregular. weather,: with a most, unequal temperature,.but at the. gathering the weather became dry and somewhat, warm, thus providing for a certain amount of, needed fermentation:"on the other hand the wine lacks softness and suppleness,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.