72 
THE GARDENING WORLD. 
October 1, 1892. 
FRUIT FARMING IN 
SPAIN. 
I think, says a correspondent of Land and Water, it 
might be interesting to some of your readers to give 
a short sketch of a district in Andalusia I recently 
visited on the Mediterranean coast, which in my 
eyes present many and great possibilities for those 
classes of our population which are invited to 
emigrate, more especially to California and British 
Columbia, to begin life as fruit farmers, etc. 
In the first place, the people who are invited to go 
to California because of its fine climate and the 
fertility of the land when under irrigation, are chiefly 
members of the middle and upper-middle classes—■ 
retired army officers and their sons, professional 
men, and clerks who, under the stress of our sc- 
called high civilisation, are unable to send their sons 
into the professions formerly more accessible than 
they are now. 
Individuals of the classes referred to, we may take 
it, have been brought up in comfort, and are unused 
to wait on themselves and perform the hundred petty 
duties of domestic life. To these the parting from 
home is a great wrench, and in the case of married 
people the menial duties which must be performed 
by the women-kind in California or Columbia are 
keenly felt, and submitted to only because servants 
are not to be obtained. 
The knowledge of the ever-increasing difficulties 
of the classes referred to has induced me to enter 
into the subject; but as I have had no time to carry 
my investigations beyond the main facts, my ideas 
will only be sketched in outline. For this reason I 
refrain from mentioning the name of the locality to 
which my remarks refer. 
Should my ideas be carried out, persons who took 
land and commenced life as fruit-farmers in Spain 
would not encounter the hardships inseparable from 
life in California, Florida, etc. ; first they would not 
feel they were separating themselves from their 
country and kinsfolk as if they went to such distant 
countries, and, should they find the experiment a 
failure, the expense of the five days’ journey home to 
London is only £10 or £12 first class, without cal¬ 
culating on the possibility of returning in a cargo 
steamer for half that sum. On the other hand, should 
intelligence, industry, and perseverance be rewarded, 
and an income assured from the investment, they 
need not spend all their time on the land, but could 
spend a portion of every year at home. Again, the 
advantage of requiring no manual labour on the part 
of the men, and the ability to engage domestic ser¬ 
vants, in my opinion, raises the advantages afforded 
by this country far above California or any other 
distant land. 
There is the difficulty of the language, of course, 
but this should be overcome ; Spanish is the easiest 
of any European language to learn, and arrange¬ 
ments could be made to meet this difficulty during 
the first year. 
The part of Andalusia I visited is in appearance 
very uninviting to an English eye if you except a 
certain savage grandeur in the mountain scenery, and 
the ever-present view of the intensely blue Mediter¬ 
ranean; the soil is apparently an arid desert, glim¬ 
mering and blazing in the hot season ; but this same 
soil, when brought under irrigation, has a fertility not 
surpassed in any portion of the globe. Without ir¬ 
rigation Vines will flourish, and this should be the 
chief source of revenue to the country; and if capi¬ 
tal and industry were brought to bear on the district 
referred to, it would become as large a Raisin produc¬ 
ing district as Malaga. 
In the time of the Moorish dominion the district 
was fertile, as the names of the valleys, plains, and 
places surely indicate, as well as the ruins of the 
water tanks and embankments. Without irrigation 
land fit to grow the finest Muscatel or other Grapes 
can be bought in any quantity for from £$ to £io the 
farrega of 4,000 Spanish yards (a little more than 
three-quarters of an acre). 
Land under irrigation is worth from £40 to £80 
per farrega; in one district the land has been sold 
for £200 the farrega. There are large tracts of land 
that could be brought under irrigation at a reason¬ 
able cost, and it only requires capital to do it. If 
only some of our capitalists could be persuaded to 
form a syndicate for the purchase of these lands and 
the construction of irrigation works, I feel sure the 
money would be well spent, and would aftord a good 
return on the outlay. The general geological features 
of the district are hills chiefly composed of Silurian 
schists capped by Dolomite limestone ; the flatter 
country from the foot of the hills to the sea coast 
is composed of alluvial deposits and raised sea 
beaches, with large tracts of recent volcanic rocks. 
The climate is exceedingly healthy, and is all that 
could be desired, save for three months from the 
middle of June to the middle of September, when it 
is decidedly hot. 
I visited one valley about ten miles in length by 
five in breadth, which twenty years ago was literally 
a desert, and the land of no value; only in the most 
favourable years could the inhabitants of two 
neighbouring villages sow a little grain on portions 
of the land. 
An irrigation scheme was planned and carried out, 
with the result that now a more fertile or delightful 
valley it would be hard to find, it being covered with 
vineyards, Orange, and Almond groves, and with all 
kinds of fruit trees and market garden produce. The 
villages are supplied with water from the same 
source as the irrigation channels. The irrigation 
company is in a flourishing condition, and the 
average price of the water, which is sold by public 
auction every week, varies from 4jd. to £1 per hour. 
The land now is worth per farrega, to purchase, 
about /80. 
The export from this place alone exceeds 20,000 
cases of Oranges (400 Oranges in each case), and 
could be raised to 50,000 cases; the cost for col¬ 
lection, packing, cases, carriage, etc., free on board 
steamer, is 5s. 3d^ and I understand the fruit is sold 
in London at from 10s. to 20s. per case. The 
Oranges are the finest I have ever tasted. 
I also visited another plot of ground of about 
eighteen acres on a particularly barren-looking hill 
slope facing the sea, a portion of which had been 
planted with Vines four years ago, and which this 
year will pay all expenses incurred for labour and 
planting, and the interest of the capital invested 
another portion of about three acres is under irriga¬ 
tion, and pays all expenses, and would pay much 
more but for want of means to work it properly. 
The Orange and other fruit trees are thriving 
wonderfully, and the place forms a grateful and 
fertile oasis in the surrounding desert-like country. 
Land similar to the above, suitable for Vines, 
could be bought for from £6 to £g the farrega. 
The total cost of planting, tilling, and working 
each farrega of land was obtained from three 
separate and trustworthy authorities of experience, 
and is as follows :— 
Each farrega will require 1,000 Vines if planted by 
hand, or what is termed spade husbandry at home ; 
if by ploughing with mules or oxen, each farrega will 
require 750 Vines planted between the rows. 
The total cost of labour on each farrega for the 
first three years will be £10 18s. 4d.; although not 
to be counted on, the produce of the third year very 
frequently pays the interest on the capital invested. 
Wages vary from is. to is. 5d. per day, and plenty 
of labour is always available. 
The produce of the Vines in the fourth year will 
cover the above expenses inclusive, and also the 
interest, say 5 per cent., on the capital invested. 
After the fourth year the profits can be reckoned at 
from £10 to £11 on each 1,000 Vines planted. 
The saleable value of each farrega of land planted 
with Vines is £20 per farrega after the first year, 
£30 the second year, and /40 to £45 at the end of 
the fourth year, when the Vineyard is made, as it is 
termed in Spain. 
It need hardly be said that the places above 
described are entirely in native hands, that the system 
of agriculture is of the most primitive description, 
and that the proverbial indolence of the Spaniard 
makes the least of his advantages. Still, in spite of 
these conditions, the larger proprietors, of say 
seventy-five acres and over, make considerable 
incomes from their property. In English hands, and 
with English industry and capital, it is certain much 
larger revenues would be made. 
-- 
Summer Shading for Glass.—An American grower 
states that he has found a mixture of benzine and 
white lead very serviceable ; put in no more white 
lead in the benzine than is sufficient to colour it ; 
and if not heavy enough add a little more. This was 
applied with a brush, but another grower uses a 
syringe when applying the mixture. 
CABBAGES AT CHISWICK 
Visitors to the gardens of the Royal Horticultural 
Society at Chiswick about a month ago had a splendid 
opportunity of seeing a large number of the leading 
varieties of Cabbage growing alongside of each other, 
and under the same conditions as to soil and culture. 
Nothing decidedly new has appeared amongst Cab¬ 
bages for many years, the chief improvement of late 
consisting in varieties suitable for early spring work. 
Nevertheless it is of great advantage to make notes 
concerning the varieties suitable for spring use as well 
as for garden purposes generally. Cabbages have 
now been brought to great perfection, but many of 
the larger ones in cultivation might be relegated to 
the fields with advantage. Small or medium sized 
Cabbages are best for table use, and for cultivation in 
small gardens where space is a great consideration. 
Amongst the early varieties Ellam’s Early Dwarf 
still maintains its position in popular estimation. It 
forms a sharply conical heart of moderate size, light 
green, and not liable to split. The surrounding 
leaves are broad, glaucous, and ascending. It may 
be described as belonging to the old Early Battersea 
type, and the same may be said of the Nonpareil 
group. The Improved Nonpareil is roundly conical 
or blunt, small, light green, and comparatively dwarf. 
It is liable to split if not cut when ready for use. 
Prince Nonpareil is a small conical useful Cabbage 
in the way of Ellam’s Early, but is liable to split ulti¬ 
mately. Nonpareil Improved Dwarf is slightly taller 
but otherwise similar. Nonpareil Improved is a 
conical Cabbage of medium size but rather taller, 
and having more bulky foliage than the previous 
named variety. Very similar also as far as appear¬ 
ance goes is Kelway’s Nonpareil, as all Nonpareils 
have a family likeness; but Prince Nonpareil is 
rather the dwarfest and least bulky of the lot. A 
choice and useful Cabbage is Matchless, with small 
conical heads very firm and not splitting till past its 
season. It is dwarf, compact, and less bulky even 
than Ellam's Early. Both are suitable for early 
work, and might be more largely planted in cottage 
and other small gardens. Of the same general type 
are Dwarf Spring Cutting and Dwarf Autumn Cut¬ 
ting, with conical and pointed heads of medium size, 
and dark green foliage. The former is the dwarfer 
of the two, but both kinds are larger and taller than 
either of the Nonpareils, Matchless, or Ellam’s 
Early. Veitch’s Maincrop evidently claims affinity 
with all of the above group on account of its conical 
heads and dark green wrinkled leaves, but the latter 
character is more strongly developed than in either 
of the others. It is also more bulky, but evidently 
a good Cabbage for the main crop. 
A useful early Cabbage of continental origin is 
Early Etampes, of dwarf habit but producing very 
large firm and conical heads of a white or light green 
hue. It is liable to split, however, when it gets past 
its best. Early Dwarf York is one of the oldest 
Cabbages grown true to its primitive type, and has 
been in cultivation for the greater part of a century. 
Twenty and thirty years ago it was largely planted in 
autumn for the earliest spring use. The heads are 
oval or elliptic, narrowed to both ends, and of me¬ 
dium size, surrounded by relatively small deep glau¬ 
cous leaves. Little Pixie is a gem for small gardens. 
The plants are very dwarf, with leaves lying on the 
ground, and produce small bluntly conical or even 
rounded heads of great firmness. It should be more 
largely planted for table use in summer as well as in 
gardens of limited dimensions on account of the 
number that can be grown in any given space. 
Well known also is Cocoanut, a shortly conical 
Cabbage, with dwarf stems, and by no means bulky 
foliage. Very compact also is Wheeler's Imperial. 
Wheeler's Early Dwarf Imperial, curiously enough, 
is somewhat taller than the last named but otherwise 
closely similar. A short and bluntly conical Cabbage 
is Empress Extra Early, with a very broad base to 
the head. The leaves are also small or very mode¬ 
rate in size. There are several varieties of larger size 
and which, like Veitch’s Maincrop, would seem to be 
useful sorts for spring planting to give a supply 
during the late summer months. The names of some 
of them, however, would imply something different. 
Like Cocoanut they have smooth light green and 
veiny leaves, but are larger. Amongst them are 
Eclipse, for spring cutting, a conical Cabbage with a 
broad base, and very firm. Criterion is something in 
the way of Enfield Market but dwarfer, and the 
heads are not so large. Carter’s Model is a type of 
