80 



ROYAL haras; OR 



renewal, I would have been inclined to say owing to the 

 quality of the soil, had I not seen the excellent condition 

 in which Messrs. Durand's vines were kept in soil, which 

 was in some places not less stony and arid. 



In filhng a vacant space, when they cannot find a shoot 

 on any of the neighbouring vines long enough to reach 

 the spot, they take the longest shoot there is, and lay it 

 in a circular form round its own stock ; the following year 

 they raise it, when, with the shoot it has produced, thev 

 can not only reach the spot to be filled, but have by this 

 means a strong plant to fill it. 



While noting above the use of a match with brandv 

 instead of sulphur, there has occurred to my memory an 

 observation stated by Mr. Mas, in reply to my question, 

 whether they did not find the burnino^ of sulphur in the 

 cask to taste the wine ? He stated that when this oc- 

 curred it must be owing to a small quantity of water 

 having been left in the cask when cleaned. "When this 

 was the case, the wine, he said, was sure to be tasted, 

 because the sulphuric acid impregnated the water ; but 

 when every drop of water was carefully drained off 

 before the cask was smoked, it never occurred. 



I returned to Perpignan about four o'clock, and began 

 to ticket the different bundles of vines, taking only 25 of 

 each of the varieties sent by j\Ir. Durand, on account of 

 their great bulk. This, and other little matters which 

 required arrangement, occupied me so fully, that I for- 

 got to send for my passport till it was too late to procure 

 it for the diligence that night. 



Tuesday, 9,9.nd November. — j\Iy delay for another day 

 in Perpignan allowed me to visit the Bergerie Ro2/ale, 

 where the government keep a flock of Merino sheep for 

 the improvement of the flocks of the district. As 'Mr. 



