lo -March, 1909.] Irrigation in Eastern Spain. 183; 



Sericulture receives a good deal of attention, and I saw several 

 students, attending a special course in this branch, engaged in the rearing, 

 of disease- free seed (eggs). 



Nor is viticulture overlooked, though, as has been pointed out, the- 

 vine does not figure to any extent in the rich irrigable land — this school 

 was mainly established for the education of irrigationists, the main 

 viticultural branch being under the control of Don Rafael Janini v Janini 

 as has been alreadv described. Nevertheless at Burjasot there are some- 

 expyerimental vine plots and collections. 



New fodder plants are being largely tried. Two of these struck 

 me as being worthy of note. One was a form of lucerne, called Mielga, 

 said to be more hardy than the ordinary lucerne or alfalfa, as it is. 

 known in Spain. Two plants closely allied to the ordinary globe arti- 

 choke, viz., Cyanara scolymus and C. cardunculus usually grown as 

 table vegetables were recommended to me as worthy of cultivation as 

 fodder plants in dry situations. Endeavours are being made to en- 

 courage the cultivation of hemp, which, at one time, was largely grown- 

 but has for some reason or other been neglected of late. In reply to* 

 a question I was informed that flax is not at all cultivated in the 

 Levante, hemp having been found a far more profitable crop. In addi- 

 tion to instruction, lectures, &c., in the Escuela, the staff are at all' 

 times willing to give advice to farmers in the district, and to conduct 

 analyses of soils, manures, &c. , for them. 



It will be seen that the Escuela has a great variety of duties to per- 

 foim. It appears to be doing good work in the dissemination of agri- 

 cultural knowledge. Though at first it encountered much apathy and 

 had difficulty in recruiting students, these are now presenting themselves- 

 freely and local interest is being manifested in the work of the estab- 

 lishment. 



Diversity of Products Grown. 



The variety of crops raised on the irrigated land is most striking. I 

 regret that the official Spanish statistics in my possession only refer to 

 vines, olives and cereals. Concerning most irrigation products I have un- 

 fortunately no figures, but one cannot visit the region without being struck 

 by the variety of crops grown. Its general prosperity bears testimony 

 to the remunerative nature of the results obtained. 



In the Huertas, specialization is no longer the general rule. In less 

 favoured situation many circumstances have to be contended against, and 

 one product usually stands out as pre-eminently suited to a certain locality. 

 It is found possible to produce it in sufficient quantity and in a high 

 degree of perfection. The result is the specialization which I ha^'e fre- 

 quently had occasion to refer to. In connexion with vine culture it is 

 especially noticeable, the products of the vine depending so largely for 

 their profitable sales on their quality- 



This no longer applies in the rich irrigated lands where most plants 

 thrive equally well, and quantity rather than quality is the aim of the 

 grower. Such factors as the extreme subdivision of the land, the need for 

 rotation of crops, and the large consumption of vegetables and fruit in 

 Spanish households, have combined to make each holding rather a garden 

 than a farm. An extreme form of mixed farming is thus a striking 

 feature of the irrigated lands. 



So numerous are the crops grown on each holding that it is difficult 

 to know which is first in importance. The orange certainly occupies- 



