266 Journal of Agriculture. [lo April, 1909. 



known locally as Rabia. In districts suited to it, large yields are ob- 

 tained and it is a most profitable crop. Sauco, in old Castille, is cele- 

 brated for its Garbanzas which are considered the best in Spain, for 

 there is much variation in quality. Some, on soaking and cooking, 

 become far more tender and palatable than others. The best Gar- 

 banzas are sown on land free from excess of lime. 



***** 



The principal forms of agriculture are cereals, vines and olives ; ot 

 the former, the acreage of wheat, barley and oats sown, and the quan- 

 tities har\ested, in the whole of Cataluiia, were as follows in 1906: — 



Wheat. Barley. Oats. 



Acres sown ... 484,300 ... 189,300 ... 34025 



Bushels harvested ... 6,647,520 ... 3,094,124 ... 727,133 



The importance of vine and olive culture is shown in the following 

 table taken from the official statistics for 1906: — 



576,567 ... 66,609,33+ ... 377,367 •■- 4,4-0,394 

 In other words, over a million and a half acres are tmder cereals, 

 vines and olives; the area under vines exceeding half -a-mil lion acres. 



Agricultural Education and Experimental Work. 



Though experimental agricultural work has long been conducted, the 

 encouragement it has received has often been of a rather spasmodic kind, 

 owing to political and financial troubles. Of late years a marked for- 

 ward movement is noticeable. The present Government appears to be 

 convinced of the value of such work and its beneficial influence in pro- 

 moting general prosperity. The older Granjas or experimental farms 

 have been extended and equipped so as to enable them to act as educa- 

 tional centres as well. Several Government institutions in Cataluha 

 combine both classes of work: such are the Escuela Fractica de Agri- 

 cultura at Barcelona and the Experimental Station at Figueras in the 

 northern province of Gerona, devoted to general agriculture, and the 

 Estacion Enologica at Villafranca del Panades and the more recently 

 established one at Reus, which are exclusively viticultural. The Bar- 

 celona .school is situated in one of the suburbs of the town ; it is run 

 on somewhat similar lines to the Valencia school at Burjasot and appears 

 to be doing very good work under the management of Don Juan Salvador 

 Borras. Amongst other experiments under way, were some in connexion 

 with wheat, both as regards manuring and new varieties. Several crops 

 new to the district are also being tried ; one which the Department is 

 anxious to popularize is cotton. The experiments conducted so far, have 

 not been very successful, owing to maturit\ being rather late in the lati- 

 tude of Barcelona. 



A curious feature at this school, especially to an Australian, was the 

 Conejar or warren, where students are taught the commercial raising of 

 rabbits ; such a sight was calculated to raise hopes of our finding an 

 outlet for some of our frozen rabbits in Spain. The other Go\ernment 

 institutions will be referred tO' in connexion with the districts in which 

 they are situated. 



