chap, v.] BEST WINE DISTRICTS. 97 



trained on a sort of trellis-work made of the Arimdo donax, to 

 which they are bound by split shoots of willow. This frame- 

 work, when the leaves are off, has the appearance, as you look 

 down upon it from the hills, of nets spread on the ground. 

 One or more walks intersect each vineyard. Along these 

 walks, wooden pillars about seven feet high are erected at 

 regular distances, to support frames which slope down from 

 them on each side to within two feet of the ground. At this 

 elevation the reeds extend over the whole vineyard. There is 

 barely room for men to creep under these lattice-works either 

 for the purpose of weeding, pruning, or gathering the grapes. 



An alqueire* of ground, being soil of the best description 

 and well cultivated, will produce in an average year from 

 twelve to fifteen barrels of wine, of which twelve go to the 

 pipe. If the soil is of medium quality, and well cultivated, it 

 will produce from eight to ten barrels. Ground of either best 

 or medium quality in bad hands will not produce more than one 

 or two barrels. In bad land, of course, no vines are planted. 



The exportation of wine from Madeira and Porto Santo 

 during the last three years has averaged 6738 pipes, whereas 

 the amount grown has averaged 15,887 pipes. This leaves 

 the large amount of 9149 pipes annually consumed in the 

 island, or converted into brandy. The largest amount is 

 drunk by boatmen and burroqueros, who spend about one- 

 third of their means in a liquor, which comes under the deno- 

 mination of low wine. Of the wine exported from the island 



* An alqueire of ground contains 15,625 square palmos ; the palmo is 

 equal to 8 1 English inches. A difference in measurements exists in some 

 parts of Madeira ; for instance, in Camera de Lobos 5 palmos correspond to 

 43 inches ; at Santa Anna a palmo equals 9 inches; and at Machico a palmo 

 equals 8 inches. In different kinds of measurements the value of a palmo 

 varies even in Funchal, where the land surveyors, in measuring walls, use 

 the palmo of 9 English inches, instead of 8j. 



F 



