9 March, 1908.] Yiti culture in Europe. 177 



the vintage was in full swing. I was able to see it in all its stages and 

 to collect full information concerning the making of Port. I spent 

 several days at each of the following vineyards : — Quinta de Boa Vista, 

 the property of Messrs. Ofifley, Cramp, and Forrester; Quinta de Malvedos, 

 belonging to Messrs. W. and J. Graham; and Quinta de Roriz, owned by 

 Mr. Christiano van Zeller. The whole produce of the last vineyard is 

 taken by the firm of Gonzales, Byass, and Coy., by arrangement with the 

 proprietor. I also visited several other vineyards near Tua. 



On my return to Oporto I spent a few days among the armazens 

 of the wine merchants at Villa Nova, gaining information concerning the 

 after handling of Ports which will, I hope, prove useful to our growers 

 on my return. I also made arrangements for the purchase of some of 

 the samples of wine you directed me to secure. These will be forwarded 

 to the Agent-General, who will send them on to Melbourne. I also made 

 provisional arrangements to secure cuttings and grafted rooted vines of 

 the principal wine and table grapes which could with advantage be intro- 

 duced to Victoria. I also visited the Quinta de Vaccaria, near Regoa, 

 where, for many years, the Portuguese Government conducted an experi- 

 mental vineyard. 



After a couple of days of torrential rain, during which it was 

 impossible to do anything, I proceeded to Lisbon. I was very well 

 received by Sr. Alfredo Carlos le Cocq, Director of Agriculture, who 

 each day placed officers of his Department at my disposal, who could 

 speak either French or English, thus greatly facilitating my investigations 

 and enabling me to thoroughly study vine-growing and wine-making 

 methods in parts of the country where the industry is not in the hands 

 of English merchants as it very largely is on the Douro. Near Lisbon 

 there are several wine districts differing from each other in several important 

 particulars. I was able to study vine-growing in the neighbourhood of 

 the following centres : — Santarem, Almeirini, Torres Vedras, Pinhal 

 Novo, and Collares. 



Though cultural and wine-making methods differ much in different 

 parts of Portugal, there are some general features that strike one as 

 being peculiar to the country. All vineyard work is performed by hand. 

 During my travels in Portugal I did not see a vineyard plough or scarifier 

 except in the collection of the Agricultural College at Santarem. Cultiva- 

 tion is nevertheless deep and very thorough. This no doubt accounts for 

 the fertility of the vineyards in spite of the dryness of the climate. The 

 different cultural operations are performed with the hoe, different shapes 

 being used according to the season. The efiicient manner in which the 

 work is carried out and the speed with which it is executed are remarkable. 

 Vine di'essing in the Peninsula, is a trade to be learnt libe boot making, 

 or any other trade, instead bf being performed by casual hands who have 

 often never seen a \-ine before, such as wte often have to depend upon for 

 the work in Australia. 



An interesting feature is the closeness of the planting, in spite 

 of the dryness arid warmth of the climate. The distance apart varies 

 from district to district but except among the overhead trellises of the 

 Minho (Northern Portugal) there are not. as a rule, less than one thousand 

 vines per acre and frequently considerably more. In the earlier davs of 

 American reconstitution, wider planting was recommended and tried but 

 the old distance apart has usually been reverted to, as has also happened 

 in France. 



