SHERRY VINEYARDS. 



15 



general the compact stratum of chalk. Don Pedro's 

 vineyard lies in a north-easterly direction from Xeres, 

 and consists entirely of chalky hills. It was evident, on 

 entering the enclosure, that the vines were treated with 

 much greater care than any we had examined. The 

 mother branches were better balanced and supported 

 from the ground, and were regularly pruned ; and not a 

 weed or a blade of grass was to be seen among them. The 

 immediate vicinity of the house was tastefully planted 

 with a profusion of ornamental trees, within which was 

 an extensive paved court, surrounded by a wall and 

 railing ; the cellars were on a much larger scale than in 

 any of the vineyards we had before seen or passed ; the 

 house neither large nor convenient, and in a great degree 

 spoiled by some of the rooms being made the passages to 

 a high tower which he has built to have a view of all 

 parts of the vineyard, and which has been carried to a 

 great height in order to command a prospect of Cadiz, on 

 the south-west, and Seville to the north. "A certain 

 man planted a vineyard, and hedged it round, and having 

 digged a wine press, and hidlt a tower, he let it out to 

 husbandmen." Every vineyard, of any considerable ex- 

 tent here, has also its tower, but, in general, they are less 

 than half the height of that of Machar Nudo. Mr. 

 Domecq is a gentleman of French extraction, and speaks 

 English fluently. We found him under the verandah of 

 his wine cellar, and having mentioned the object of our 

 visit, he undertook, with great readiness, to give us all 

 the information we should ask : he answered my ques- 

 tions and explained his proceedings in the manner of a 

 man who was thoroughly acquainted with his subject, 

 and had not been accustomed to follow blindly the prac- 

 tices he had found established. He said he was gradually 



