-.28 



Journal of Agriculture. 



[lo May, 1909. 



to the soil. Strange to say, this decaying vine debris does not seem to 

 bring about the growth of any parasitic vine root fungi, as might be feared. 

 The method is one which has long been practised about here. 



The vines are usually planted 6 ft. 6 in. x 3 ft. 3 in. and not tied 

 up in any way. Some are, however, long pruned, the rod being bent round 

 and tied to the crown. In some portions of the vineyard a departure from 

 this method has been made, the vines being i)lanted 6 ft. 6 in. x 6 ft. 6 in. 

 and trained on a single wire to which the rods, two of which were left on 

 each vine, were lied. 



LIFTING GRAFTED ROOTLINGS IN NURSERY. 



In one of the bends of the river, was a small flat of beautiful rich soil 

 in which were 20 acres of Xarelo, grafted on Riparia Gloire, planted at 

 6 ft. 6 in. X 6 ft. 6 in. and trained on 4 wires. The growth was magnificent 

 though the vines were 12 years old, but the soil was essentially a Riparia 

 one. This block had yielded, the previous vintage, 21,000 gallons of 

 wine or a little over 1,000 gallons per acre. 



The champagne cellars are on a very large scale and .splendidly 

 equipped. French champagne makers have been engaged and everything 

 is done exacth' as in the Champagne district. I was strongly reminded of 

 Great Western in these long galleries full of bottles, cork downwards, in 

 the usual shaped racks. I was further reminded of the similarity, as 

 most of the galleries were not vaulted over, the soft Tertiary sandstone 

 being sufficiently solid to dispense with such. The formation, however, 

 Avas quite different to the decomposed granite of Great Western. 



These galleries, of which there are altogether 2.800 metres (nearly i| 

 miles), are at an average depth of 70 feet below the surface ; they are 

 well liuhted by electricitx and well ventilated. 



• FiGUERAS. 



On 27th January. I left Barcelona for the north and for France. I 

 decided to break mv journey at Figueras, the most north-easterlv town, 

 of any size, in Spain, in order to see the Viticultural Experiment Station 

 which had been created by Don Nicoln de I,o;s Salmone. before he was 

 promoted to Pamplona. My main nbject was to see something of lecon- 



