694 



Journal of AgricnlUtre. 



[lo Nov., 1908. 



Pamplona where it has been cultivated for ten years. This vine seems 

 to merit further study. Several other direct bearers seem to give promise, 

 notably Nos. 126-21, 28-112, J503, of Couderc ; 3-917, and 13-317 of 

 Castel ; and i, 2, 14, 156, &c., of Seibel. 



Sartaguda Nursery. 

 Sartaguda is mainly a nursery and plantation of mother vines for wood 

 production. It is one of the principal Viveras de Region (regional 

 nurseries) which are owned and worked by the Diputacion, or central 

 government of the province as distinguished from the local nurseries, which 

 are under the control of the shire councils, or, Ayuntamientos as they are 

 called in Spanish. Viticulture is such an important industry in this part 

 of Spain that the shire councils have actively intervened and are materially 

 assisting growers, especially in the way of supplying grafting wood. The 

 nursery is situated in sandy soil on the left bank of the Ebro', just across 

 the river from the wayside railway station of Lodosa on the line from 

 Castejon to Logroiio. The picturesque old village of Sartaguda shown in 

 the photo, here reproduced stands on a hill above the nursery. It is typical 

 of the small villages so common in this part of Spain where, until recently, 



VILLAGE OF SARTAGUDA. 



the land-holders found it necessary to associate for mutual defence and live 

 together in small communities instead of making their homes on the land 

 they worked. The soil at the nursery is sandy, and reminded me strongly 

 of that at the new nursery at Wahgunyah. Don Nicolas was rather dis- 

 satisfied with it at first, and feared this land would not prove rich enough 

 for the production of the large supplies of wood he required. It has, 

 however, exceeded his anticipations, as the 50 acres under mother vines 

 produced last season 5,000,000 cuttings of which 60 per cent, were fit for 

 bench grafting. The balance are planted in the nursery to be sold later as 

 harhados or sold direct to growers who strike them in their own nurseries. 

 It is true that they were manured and irrigated ; the manure consisting 

 of a dressing of about 4 cwt. of superphosphate and i cwt. of sulphate 

 ot ammonia per acre every third or fourth year. Irrigation is judiciously 

 practised, no water being given after midsummer in order not to interfere 

 with the proper ripening of the wood. With proper attention to this point, 

 irrigation does not appear to in any way reduce the quality of the wood 

 for grafting. The pruning of the mother vines was somewhat different 

 in Navarra to what I had seen in other parts. Instead of all shoots 

 being cut off flush with the old wood (osier or " tete de saule " system) 

 short spurs are left. It is claimed that in this way the vines last longer. 

 With the exceedingly short pruning usually practised the crown or head 



