8 July, jgoS.] Viticulture in Europe. 427 



of supporting it has enabled successful reconstitution to be effected. These 

 limey soils usually constitute the low hills and almost level land bordering 

 the Vega. At Samara and Paradones, two vinevards I visited near the 

 village of Churiana, the soils contained 35 per cent, and 50 per cent. Oif 

 carbonate of lime respectively. In this neighbourhood the formation is 

 chiefly Pliocene sandstone, but geological formations are much mixed uf). 

 A little higher up the hillsides one gets into primitive rocks free from lime, 

 Avhilst on the opposite side of the Vega one sees dry hillsides of secondary 

 age (Jurassic), which formerly produced wine, but which have not been 

 replanted, land-owners fearing a similar failure to that experienced in the 

 Montes de Malaga. 



It is in the flats of the Vega that the third and fourth types are to be 

 found. They are much mixed up, the Vega, from a soil point of vie\v, 

 being very patchy, as might be expected in sedimentarv soils, recently de- 

 posited in a wide valley, in close proximity to high and rugged mountains 

 made up of verv varied geological formations. 



The loO;S<?r portions consist of rich, free, but not as a rule sandy soils, 

 usually of a dark grey or black color. They contain under 5 per cent, of 

 lime ana in them, as might be expected, American vines thrive. So far 

 as adaptation is concerned no trouble has been experienced. These are 

 typical "easy " soils. Some of these alluvial soils are very pebblv and 

 largely made up of coarse graA'el washed down from the langes. Some of 

 them remind one strongly of the "Alpine Diluvium," so much in evidence 

 near Montpellier (France). 



The clay soils have given more trouble. The worst of these, known 

 locally as. ''' terrenos arcillosos grises'' (grey clayey soils) are not unlike 

 the blue clays to be found in certain parts of Northern Victoria. They 

 contain, however, moTe lime, though the ])roportion of this element, usually 

 under 5 per cent., is not enough to injuriouslv affect even sensitive Ameri- 

 can stocks. The color of the soil seems to have a direct bearing on the 

 physical nature, as these grey or blue clays are stiffer and more unsatis- 

 factory than those of a Nellow or reddish color. 



Soils intermediate in character between the two last described are of 

 frequent occurrence in the Vega. 



Establishment of the Vineyard, Training. Pruning, Cultivation. eKic. 



The failure of reconstitution in the Montes de Malaga was in a 

 large measure due to neglect of deep preliminary cultivation. This was not 

 the rule in former times the subsoil of fissured rock being sufficiently 

 penetrable to deep rooting vinifera varieties, which were planted on un- 

 trenched ground. Though the yield was not hea\y, the cost of establish- 

 ing the vinevard w^as small and the wine produced of excellent qualitv and 

 considerable value. 



When American stocks were planted in this way disastrous results were 

 inevitable. Large areas were replanted, mainly with unsuitable stocks for 

 so dry a situation. Unlike Portuguese growers, w"ho were quick to recog- 

 nise the Qifferent requirements of viticulture under altered circumstances 

 and modified their methods accordingly, the Malaga Avine growers finding 

 reconstitution to be a failure, resigned themselves to their fate and with 

 tew exceptions the Montes de Malaga are not now under vines. P'rom the 

 raisin vine\ards of the Vega one can still see the white houses dotting the 

 hillsides. These are almost all that now remains of these once prosperous 

 wine vineyards. Other causes no doubt aggravated the plight of these 



