24 



ENVIRONS OF XERES. 



varied according to the season, from forty to fifty butts ; 

 forty-five butts is about six hundred gallons, old measure, 

 for each English acre. The other vineyards in the arenas 

 seemed to be pruned in the same manner, and to be fully 

 as heavily charged with fruit. The vinador said the 

 wine was of very good quality. The grapes were chiefly 

 the variety called Uva el Rey — but there were also a very 

 few of Pedro Ximenes, and one or two other varieties. 

 The vines in this vineyard appeared to be in the highest 

 state of health, and had evidently been treated with the 

 greatest care from the commencement. They were now 

 25 years of age, — the branches were so well arranged that 

 they balanced each other upon the stock ; and few props 

 were therefore required, the height of the stock being 

 . from 16 to 20 inches. Where from the weight of fruit 

 a prop was required, it consisted of a piece of cane, with 

 a fork cut in the end of it, and in this fork the branch 

 rested. A small spot in the vineyard had been newly 

 planted ; he said the ground had been trenched to the 

 depth of a vara, or a vara and a quarter. These vines 

 were only manured once in four or five years ; the rea- 

 son of this, he said, was that the ground was not so cold 

 as the albarizas, and did not require it oftener. 



As the grapes were collected they were spread out on 

 large mats in the sun's rays. This is very commonly the 

 practice in ordinary seasons : but owing to the late heavy 

 rains coming upon the grapes when the most of them 

 were fully ripe, they are in general hastening on the 

 vintage this seaspn without attending to it. The vinador 

 said they would be put in the press to-night and pressed 

 next morning. 



Mr. Cormack says, that this vineyard produces only 

 the common wine of the country, and from the way it 

 was cultivated he was sure it must yield 6 or 7 butts an 



