582 Journal of Agriculture. [10 Oct., 1908. 



vineyards have long been reconstituted. 0\\ing to the high lime contents 

 of the soil, questions of adaptation have given a good deal of trouble, 

 and it is only recently that thoroughly suitable stocks have been found. 

 Berlandieri hvbrids are preferred to all other stocks and little else is now 

 being planted. The ff)llo\ving are the numbers most largely used : — 420A, 

 41B, 33 and 34E, and 157-11. All these seem to give satisfactory results. 

 Though the Berlandieri hybrids make perhaps a little less growth during 

 the first few years than some other stocks, once they are thoroughly estab- 

 lished they form a splendid vine and one which is very fruitful. The 

 suitability of these stocks for this climate, which is hot and dry like that 

 of Northern Victoria, points to a great futur*- for these stocks with us. 



The Pedro Ximenes is more largely used as a scion in Montilla than 

 in Jerez, in which districts its grapes are chiefly ma-de into sweet wine. In 

 Montilla it enters very largely into the composition of the dry wines, being 

 mixed with the Palomino or Listan and a few other less important varieties. 

 Some excellent sweet Pedro is made in Montilla, but by far the greater 

 part of the wine is dry. 



Field grafting is here the rule. Don Antonio is strongly in favour of it, 

 and advanced many reasons for its superiorit\- over the plantation of nursery 

 raised bench grafts. Very long barbados (uiigrafted American) — in some 

 cases the\- are 3 feet long— are planted and subsequently grafted. Both 

 the Yema and Espiga grafts (see 4th Report) are used. The former gives 

 good results, but the latter is more usually practised. The vines are 

 planted at 6 jc 6 and short pruned to 5 or 6 spurs. The crowns are rather 

 higher thr.n at Jerez; and, of course, no Horquillas are used. Cultivation 

 is executed by hand with the hoe but the land does not seem to be usually 

 worked into piletas as at Jerez. It is thoroughly turned over to a depth 

 of almost a foot at the winter cultivation and kept loose and free from 

 weeds bv summer hoeings. 



Crushing, pressing, &c., are conducted in exactly the same way as at 

 Jerez, though rather less gypsum or plaster is added to the grapes on the 

 press.* It does not in fact seem to be always added. Don Antonio 

 informed me that though wine made from plastered grapes cleared more 

 rapidly the addition of this substance is not, in his oj)inion, indispen- 

 sable for the production of a high class sherrv. 



The question of the use of plaster is a large one. It will l)e dealt 

 with at length in connexion with wine making methods in the Jerez 

 district. 



The Use of Tinajas. 



The most notable difference so far as wine making is concerned is to 

 be found in the kind of vessel in which fernventation takes place at Montilla. 



Until the first racking the wine is stored in large earthenware jars^. 

 somewhat similar to the Amphorae of Ancient Rome, known as Tinajas. A 

 photograph showing a fermenting roonr. Avith some almost identical jars, 

 used in the south-east of Portugal, is here reproduced. These Tinajas are 

 very picturesque ; they are made of red earthenware and recall the pictures 

 of Ali-Ba-Ba and the Forty Thieves. Tinajas have been used in certain 

 parts of Spain since time immemorial for storing wine and oil. They 

 vary in size and shape according to local customs. 



* The use of gypsum or plaster in the rriakiuff of sherry is one of the features of wine-making at Jerez, 

 ine fjuantuy used is somewhat higher than is perraitttd bv our Pure Wine Aft. It is usually considered 

 at Jerez, that the use of plaster is indispensable in ordtr to obtain a wine whirh will subseiiuentiv develop- 

 On the lines necessary to produce a hijfh-class sherrv. 



