a May, 1908.] Viticulture in Europe. 315 



inspected in the carrying out of my mission, and vet, in both of them. 

 once the proper stock has been fomid, the solution of the problem has 

 given the usual satisfactory re^sults. 



Together with Jerez we may consider San I.ucar de Barrameda, its 

 near neighbour, well known for the Manzanilla tvpe of wine it produces, 

 and Montilla, about 100 miles further north, where one finds a small 

 patch of soil exactly similar to that of Jei'ez in the midst of surrounding 

 country of quite different type. The wine of Montilla is a sherry which 

 it would be difficult to distinguish from that of Jerez. This similarity 

 is the direct outcome of the identity of the soils and affords an interesting 

 proof of the great influence of the nature of the soil on the quality of 

 the wine. The soil of Montilla is identical wiih the Afuera or Albariza 

 soils of Jerez which will be described presently. 



Soils for Sherry. 



The soils of Jerez may be divided into the following classes : — 



1. Afuera or Albariza soils. — The typical white soils which produce 



wine of the highest qualitx. 



2. Bar r OS or clav soils. 



3. Arenas or sands. 



4. Alluvial deposits. 



It is onh in the case of the first that rt*c( institution has presented 

 any serious difficulty ; in the others it has been a comparatiyely simple 

 matter though even in them care must be taken to avoid stocks which 

 fear excess of lime. 



The Afuera soils are usuallv the summits of low hills which, a few 

 years ago, were covered with vines. The lower portions of these hills 

 and the flats, or rather low land between them, consist of stiffer .soil and is 

 good wheat land. The upper parts of the hills where the best wines are 

 grown are not so rich. These soils fell in value very considerably after 

 the destruction of the vineyards situated on them by phylloxera — they are 

 not rich enough to grow wheat, it is not easy to find a crop that will 

 give profitable results on them. [Most of the owners were ruined when 

 the phylloxera exterminated their vineyards and only a few have had 

 sufficient capital to face the heavy cost of reconstitution. The area 

 replanted only amoimts to about one'-eighth or perhaps less of the vine- 

 yards which existed previously, but those who have replanted are quite 

 satisfied with the result and are extending their plantations yearly. They 

 have no doubt as to the quality of the wines produced by the grafted 

 \-ines. As in other districts, the gloomy opinions of some authorities have 

 not here met with confirmation. The high quality of the wines grown 

 on resistant storks was pointed out bv the delegate for Andalucia at the 

 International Viticulttiral Congress held at Angers last July, Don Leopold© 

 de Salas y Amat. 



It is the Afuera soils which are really typical of the district. They 

 are white and iDOwdery when dry, but become xery sticky \\hen wet. In 

 this respect they remind one of the soil in the neighborhood of Horsham. 

 They are, however, far richer in carbonate of lime, some of them con- 

 taining as much as 70 per cent, of it and even more. This excess of 

 lime is what has given most trouble in connection with reconstitution for 

 most American vines are very sensiti\'e tO' this element. Even now^ after 

 ten years of experience, some of the most difficult soils are still giving 



