FENCES OF THE PRICKLY PEAR. 



11 



a spadeful of manure, both to insure its striking and its 

 more vigorous gowth. 



The road to Don Jacobo's vineyard passed at first 

 through banks of albariza, but we presently came to the 

 arenas^ or sandy soils, which adjoin the Common of 

 Xeres. Don Jacobo's vineyard was in this soil. His 

 people had just re-commenced the vintage after the rain, 

 and were now assembled to dinner ; which consisted of a 

 kind of cold soup made from water, with oil, vinegar, 

 salt, and pepper, and salads scraped down or cut small. 

 The more substantial part of the meal was bread, prickly 

 pears, sweet pepper, and grapes. 



I here tasted some of the boiled must which is used 

 for colouring the wine. It was literally the quintessence 

 of the must, having been boiled down to a fifth part of its 

 original bulk. It was as thick as treacle and resembled 

 it in flavour, but with a strong burned taste. 



Don Jacobo Gordon's vineyard yielded him, when in 

 a good state, from ^\ to 4 butts of wine per acre. At 

 present it is in a course of renewal, having been ruined 

 by the spread of a kind of grass, which sends its roots 

 to the depth of four feet. A certain portion, which had 

 been planted within the last five years, appeared to be 

 in a good state of bearing ; another part was only two 

 years old. The young vines were all very healthy, and 

 had been cut down to two or three mother branches, with 

 one knot on each. In forming the young vines, as well 

 as in pruning them afterwards, great care is taken to have 

 the branches in such a direction that they will balance 

 each other upon the stock, the latter being generally from 

 12 to 18 inches from the ground before the branches 

 spring out. The object of this care is, of course, to 

 support the bunches from the ground without the aid of 



