Journal of Agriatlture. [lo Dec, 1908. 



Another remarkable wine establishment I visited was the bodegas ol 

 Lopez Heredia y Cia who have a stock of eleven or twelve thousand hogs- 

 heads or over half a million gallons of wine. The storage cellars include a 

 very long tunnel of large diameter excavated in the solid rock. The 

 plant is most efficient and up to date, including a must pump and a 

 '•' Roy" continuous press. The machinery is driven by a 14 h.p. steam 

 engine. 



The hogsheads used are chiefly made of American oak. Though Bosnia, 

 oak is considered superior, it is becoming hard to get and is being super- 

 seded by the cheaper wood. These casks are merely steamed, washed and 

 sulphured in the ordinary way no special preparation being applied to- 

 them. 



The Viticultural Station. 



The Eslacion Enologica is an imjjortant institution which serves as 

 another proof of the interest the Spanish Government is now taking in the 

 encouragement of agriculture and of the practical aid it is giving growers 

 in connection with viticulture. Run in conjunction with it are experi- 

 mental plots and collections near the town, but the most important portion 

 consists of the station itself with its exoerimental cellars and well equippea 

 laboratory where students are trained and research work in connexion, 

 with wine making is carried out and analyses are made for growers ac- 

 cording to a reasonable tariff as witness the following prices for a few 

 items : — 



The old buildings having been found inadequate for the purpose new 

 quarters have recently been erected. These are nearing completion and 

 when thoroughly equipped will be capable of accommodating 50 students. 

 The building alone cost ^t,8oo but when fully equipped with plant and 

 residence for staff, &c., it will cost four or five times this amount. The 

 Director was unfortunately absent at the time of my visit as also was 

 his second in command, the Marques de la Solana, but I was shown over 

 the buildings by another member of the staff, Sefior Estefana. In La 

 Rioja state assistance is limited to experimental and demonstrational 

 work. The supplying of resistant cuttings is left to private nursery- 

 men of whom there are many in the region. Students at the Estacion 

 qualify for diplomas of competency as expert cellarman or as vineyard 

 overseer (capataz). 



El Ciego. 



Don Victor Manso de Zimiga, the director of the viticultural station, 

 returned to Haro late on the Saturday night. On my being introduced 

 to him he very kindly propo.sed to take me to see the celebrated vineyard 

 of El Ciego on the following day. This vineyard is the property of the 

 Marques De Riscal who was one of the first proprietors to introduce 

 Bordeaux methods into La Rioja, as far back as the vear 1862. His 



