55^ 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo Sept., 1908. 



The packing is in barrels made of thin oak, chestnut and pine accord- 

 ing to the quality of the fruit, the best being put up in oak. The standard 

 size of the barrels is 22 in. stave x 12 in. at the bung. They contain about 

 50 lbs. nett of grapes, the gross weight being 77 lbs. At the time of my 

 visit these barrels were worth 2.50 to 3.25 pesetas according to the kind 

 of timber. The cost of landing a barrel ini London or Hamburg is esti- 

 mated to be between 6.20 and 6.50 pesetas, inclusive of barrel serin (cork) 

 freight &c- A smaller barrel containing 25 lbs. nett of grapes is also used 

 but not nearly so extensively as the larger one. 



BARRELS OF GRAPES READY FOR SHIPMENT. 



The granulated cork is put on the ijottom of the barrel and the grapes, 

 from which any damaged berries have teen carefully removed, are packed 

 in, about three layers of cork being placed at regular intervals and well 

 shaken through. A final layer of cork is placed over all, and the head 

 fitted in. Packed in this way the grapes will stand a great deal of knock- 

 ing about ; they are said to remain practically unchanged from four to six 

 months. The photograph shows a stack of barrels in one of the sheds on 

 the Almexia wharf ready for shipment. 



The Jijona Fresh Grape Industry. 



Jijona is, after Almeria, one of the most interesting of the localities 

 where shipping grapes are grown in south-eastern Spain. The methods 

 of growing the vines differing somewhat in the two places, a brief 

 description of some of the points peculiar to Jijona may prove of interest. 

 Want of time prevented me from visiting the locality, but it is fully 

 described by M. Richter in Vialla and Vermorel's Ampelography, and 

 more recently, 17th November, 1907, by M. Ravaz, in Le Pr ogres Agri- 

 cole. From these sources I have taken the following notes : — 



Jijona is a small town situated about 15 miles from Alicante, and 

 12 miles from the sea as the crow flies. The vineyards are planted on 

 terraced hillsides, at an average altitude of 2,000 feet above sea level. 



