PHYSIOGRAPHY 5 
The settlements are not frequent, especially the villages. These 
exist on irrigation culture. The grape cultivating Villa Union and the 
Villa Vinchina are the most important, both consisting of claybuilt 
block houses, forming rectangular ,quadras“, separated by muddy 
Streets. Outside the dwellingplaces there extend the vineyards, 
pastures and a network of very primitive irrigation channels. 
Both villages receive their water supply from the Rio Vinchina. 
In the mountains there are several small „puestos“ or „pircas“, 
stone dwellings, inhabited by „gauchos“, a poor halfblood, watching 
 sheeps and cattle. 
The region lies quite outside the lines of communication and 
far away from greater centres of population of the Republic. The 
nearest railway station is Chilecito, on the eastern side of the Nevado 
de Famatina, the end of the Serrezuela branch of the Cérdoba— 
La Quiaca railway (Ferrocarril del Norte Argentino). The way from 
_ Chilecito to Villa Union is a riding path over a quite rough 
ground and running across the southern, lower part of the Nevado 
de Famatina. The freights from and to Villa Union are carried on 
mule- and donkey-back. 
