248 VINES AND VINEYARDS. 



Before Mr. Busby leaves Malaga, he visits the cellars of a Don 

 Juan Langan, a sort of Spanish Irishman, who is in the habit of 

 sending choice wines to English noblemen and men of wealth ; but, 

 here again the old system prevails. Speaking of his wines, 



" Some of them, he says, are twenty years old and upwards. Some of 

 his wines of seven or eight years old resembled a good sherry, and he 

 agreed with me v in thinking that his sweet wine of that age was equal to 

 those three times as old. He further agreed with me, that the great age 

 of those wines did by no means add proportionably to their quality : and 

 he evidently understands the art of giving the qualities generally attributed 

 to age, by mixing, and other management. He himself hinted at the suc- 

 cess with which he had conducted this branch of trade, and he has the re- 

 putation of having acquired great wealth." 



It is quite as well that the " noblemen and men of wealth," whose 

 cellars are supplied with such old and choice wines should be made ac- 

 quainted with the genius of Don Juan Langan. 



After many valuable remarks respecting Spanish vineyards, and 

 the wines of Catalonia, Mr. Busby proceeds to Perpignan, where he 

 introduces himself to Messrs. Durand, who are great cultivators, 

 through the pleasant medium of the notes of Messrs. Herries and Far- 

 quhar and Co. ; to whom Messrs. Durand are agents. Both the 

 brothers politely accompany him to their vineyards, a few miles from 

 Perpignan. 



" After a drive of about an hour and a quarter, we arrived at the first 

 of Messrs. Durand' s establishments. This is an immense square inclosure, 

 with high walls and buildings. It formerly belonged to the Knights Tem- 

 plars. The church is converted to a wine-cellar, and the houses of the 

 Templars to the residences of Messrs. Durand's peasants. Several other 

 buildings are also erected within the walls, forming altogether a most 

 complete and extensive homestead. After talking chocolate we proceeded 

 to the vineyards. Mr. Durand only cultivates three varieties of vines, the 

 Grenache, which gives sweetness, the Carignan, which gives colour, and 

 the Mataro, which gives quantity. His vines are in general planted either 

 on the plain, or on a gently inclined slope ; but when there is a slope the 

 exposure is always to the south. The soil is loose and stony, the stones 

 quartz, of various colours and shades." 



The wine made here is that known by the name of Rousillon. Our 

 traveller gives an account of a large farm belonging to Messrs. 

 Durand, who are agriculturalists as well as wine growers. The farm 

 consists of 562 acres, which can all be laid under water, when irri- 

 gation is required. The working oxen are exceedingly fine animals, 

 of which a pair is worked with each plough, and managed by the 

 ploughman alone. The cows are never milked, but the calves are 

 allowed to suck them. There is no such thing known as a dairy farm. 

 Butter is never used ; oil being the universal substitute. The pre- 

 judice which our English people have against oil as an article of food 

 is perfectly absurd. Oil is a pure, sweet vegetable production, and is as 

 far superior to butter as a wholesome and delicate extract from vegeta- 

 ble matter can be to any description of animal fat. And yet, people 

 will soak their muffins in the stale produce of Irish dairies, firkined 

 and salted, and enjoy with the greatest possible gusto their foul feed- 

 ings ; while pies and pastry of every kind are made with this filthy 



