tice of the cultivation of Smyrna Madder in this country, by Mr. Spencer Smith; and also that the seeds had propagated the plant with experimental success, in the Botanical Garden at Sloane-street. Editor of Com. Mag."

For further information as to the method of cultivating madder, I refer to Arthur Young's account of Mr. Arbuthnot's madder plantation, and (not the article madder alone but) to the articles madder, in Rees's Encyclopædia, particularly the last article entitled Madder, Rubia tinctorum. They are neither of them very good, but I know no better. I will send to Harmony for the prac tice there.

In England, the whole supply of weld for the finer tints of permanent yellow, is from Yorkshire. Weld gives a brighter colour than the inner bark of the black-oak, or Quercetron of Dr. Bancroft. Can there be any difficulty whatever in growing Weld here? T. C.

"Wines of Spain and Portugal.—The wines of Spain are of twe descriptions, namely, white and red, and are, for the most part, excellent. The greatest quantity of wine is made in the southern parts of the kingdom, and the sale of the article is very extensive, especially among the English and the Dutch. The wines of the Canaries, although not of actual Spanish growth, are to be met with in most of the ports of Spain, and are usually classed with the wines of that country. Although the whole of the Canaries produce excellent wines, the preference is given to those of Palmá and Teneriffe. The Dutch and the English, carry on the most extensive traffic in the wines of these two islands, the latter annu. ally taking off no less than 16,000 tons of wine; part of which they destine for the northern ports and part for England. Many other nations are engaged in an inferior degree in this traffic. When the vintage proves favourable, Teneriffe annually makes up about 30,000 pipes of Vidonia, or, as it is sometimes denominated, Bas tard Madeira, from the similarity of its flavour and appearance to the dry wine of the last mentioned island. Teneriffe also produces a sweet wine, which comes very near Malmsey Madeira: this is sold in the island at about 147. though sometimes as high as 201. per pipe, and the Vidonia at 107. and upwards. The duty paid at the port of London on Teneriffe wines is 1077. 11s. per ton, and the market price of Vidonia at present (duty included) is from 70l. to 85%. per pipe, (1808).

"The wine of Chacoli, in Biscay, is not of a first rate quality. In order to produce this wine the Biscayans ingraft five or six

different vines upon the same stalk. Most parts of Biscay abound in these vines, which border the high roads, generally growing to the height of about three or four feet. The wine in Biscay is soid at a certain price, as regulated by the police, and until the whole produce of the vintage is disposed of, no foreign wine is permitted to be brought into the province; hence it happens that the sole study of the proprietors of vineyards is to collect a large quantity of wine, without attending to quality or flavour, and consequently Chacoli has become proverbially despicable in Spain. Indeed the grapes are not allowed to arrive at a state of maturity, but are gathered and squeezed, while sour and nearly devoid of substance; now if the juice were allowed to collect and meliorate in the grape, if the green fruit were not mingled with the ripe, if the wines were made with the same care as are those of other provinces, this despicable Chacoli would undergo a proper fermentation, gain strength, acquire a delicious flavour in lieu of its present acid and nauseous taste, and would moreover prove equal in every respect (except that of seniority) to the French Champaign, which, of its kind, stands at present unrivalled.

"The wine of Guidas, in Castile, is made from cherries, and is a species of Ratifia. Foucal wine, which takes its name from a village situate near Madrid, is of a good quality, but it is only reckoned an ordinary wine.

« The wines of Val de Penas, Ciudad Real, Ribadavia, and Rioxa, and those called La Mancha are very good, and except in regard to different degrees of colour, are nearly similar in every respect.

"The best wines of Arragon are those denominated Garnachas, so called from the species of grape which produces them: the best of all is a red wine named Hospital; it is excellent as to fla vour, strength, &c. and is besides a capital stomachic. Caninea, called likewise white Garnachas, is very fine, and is much esteemed.

"The wines of Peralta, Tudela, Tafalla, and Arandillo in Navarre, are nearly alike, and are excellent both as to flavour and quality. That of Peralta is well known under the title of Rancio, which it receives when old enough to merit that distinction. To these may be added the wine of Iluesca, which is very good.

"The wines of Xeres, better known under the name of Sherry, are made at the aforesaid town, which is situated in the province of Andalusia. They are not only dry but sweet; the dry, how、 ever, are the most esteemed, more particularly when their face

presents a pale straw colour. Many who are in the habit of tast ing Sherry, have doubtless perceived that there is something in its flavour which partakes of the taste of leather; this is owing to the custom of bringing the wines down the country in large lea thern vessels, or, as the Spaniards call them, boots, whence we derive our term butts, which we bestow upon the casks wherein we receive the wines. These wines are shipped at most of the Spanish ports, but particularly at Cadiz, for all parts of Europe, but indubitably the greatest quantity is sent to England. The present prices of Sherry are from 801. to 100 guineas per butt.

"In Andalusia are also made sweet and dry wines called Pagarete and San Lucar, and the strong well known red wine, denominated Tinto Rota or Tent, which is an excellent stomachic, and is generally recommended by skilful accoucheurs, as being of infinite service to women in child-bed. The Montilla is a dry wine. The territory of Xeres alone annually produces above 60,000 pipes of wine.

"In the province of Grenada, is made the celebrated wine called Mountain or Malaga, which is commonly shipped from the port of Malaga. Vast quantities are exported for England and Ireland. It is dry and sweet, and is both red and white. It is a truly delicious wine, and is much esteemed in Great Britain; its prices in the English market, at present, vary from 60% to 80%. The sweet Mountain is the most sought after, and is usually employed as a desert wine. Grenada produces Peroximenes or Pedro Ximenes, which is oftener imported into Ireland than England; it is a very fine flavoured full bodied wine. There is also a kind of Malmsey made in this province, which is exquisite; but that of Maravella is only an ordinary wine.

"In Valentia is found Tinto Alicante, a wine much used in France; it is sweet when new, but grows thick and ropy as it becomes aged: it is a good stomachic.

"The Benicarlo wine is red, dry, and thick; it is often palmed upon the public by wine dealers as Port wine, to which it is very inferior both in quality and price. An imposition of this sort is to be avoided by observing whether the wine offered have a ruby colour instead of a deep black, a generous flavour, and not that harshness which immediately offends a good palate; if not, it assu redly cannot be Port wine. The wine called Siches and that cal Catalonia, are exquisite. In the same

led Garnache, both made in

province are made Tinto de las Montanas or Mountain Tent, and

Mataro wine, both of which are sweet, thick, ropy, and unwhole. some. The latter is often sold by irreputable traders to private families as Tent, but in this respect an experienced wine broker cannot be deceived.

"It is almost needless to observe that the wine called Port, of which such vast quantities are consumed in Great Britain, is the produce of Portugal. The vines, whence it is made, grow upon the banks of the Douro, about 14 or 15 leagues from Oporto, and occupy a space about six leagues in length, and two leagues in breadth. These vineyards produce between 60 and 70,000 pipes of Port, and there are others which yield nearly 6,000 pipes annu, ally. The vine whence we derive our Port, originally grew in Burgundy, but the climate of Portugal, being widely different from that of Burgundy, has caused such an alteration in the grape, that no two wines are more unlike than those which are the produce of each of the above mentioned territories. The wines Di Ranio are prohibited from being exported to any part of the world except Brazil, but the English factory established at Oporto have sometimes contrived to ship a few pipes to this country.

"In the province of Algarva a small quantity of indifferent wine is made, but it constitutes no branch of export trade; in deed Port is the only wine which the Portuguese derive profit from, and it may be truly said to be the grand prop of their commerce. The wines of Portugal, like those of Biscay, are only sold at the prices annually regulated by the government. As soon as the prices are promulgated, the factory and individuals send in their names to the proprietors of the wines; the whole of the Port wine is shipped at Oporto.

"The brandy of Spain constitutes an article of considerable commerce; it is very inferior to the brandy of France, and is principally used in making up Spanish and Portuguese wines. The brandy of Portugal is nearly the same as that of Spain, very little of it is exported.

“Raisins or dried grapes are produced in abundance in all the provinces of Spain. The Valentia and Grenada raisins are ccrtainly the most esteemed of any, the produce of Spain. The mode of drying grapes at Valentia is as follows: The grapes are first dried in a ley made of vine stalks, the juice issues from the pores of the fruit, and when placed in the open air is crystallised; the raisins * A light Port.

are finally exposed to the sun, after which nothing can improve them more than a voyage.

"Immense quantities of most excellent barilla, pot-ash, and pearl-ash, chiefly the produce of Alicant, Valentia, Murcia, and part of Grenada, are annually exported from Spain; there is no country in the world whence these articles are to be met with in greater perfection than in this.

"The oranges and lemons of Spain are of a very excellent kind, and large quantities are annually exported from the different ports of that country for England and Ireland; from September till January is the properest time for shipping these fruits; it is dangerous to speculate in the articles at other seasons.

"Spain likewise produces some oil, which is seldom exported, and is often used as a substitute for butter; hemp, which is grown in Grenada, Murcia, and Valentia; senna, which has been preferred to that of the Levant; tobacco of the finest quality; and wool, whose excellent quality is too well known to need any comment.

"The fruits of Portugal, which are esteemed by foreigners, consist of figs, grown in the kingdom of Algarva exclusively, and which are said to be superior to those of Spain and Barbary; almonds far inferior to those of Spain (which are indeed excellent, especially such as are shipped from Valentia); oranges and le mons, more noted for their quantity than their quality; and some wools."

Alexander & Phillips, Printers, Carlisle.