THE MALAGA DISTRICT.
Extent and Age of the District.
—Malaga has been known to export raisins since 1295 A. D., but must have been a raisin-producing district centuries before. The raisin cult, then, is no doubt of Phœnician origin, and has been practiced in the same locality for two thousand years or more. Under the Romans the raisin industry was continued, but appears to have deteriorated and later on to have been abandoned altogether, as the local tradition credits the Moors with having re-introduced the raisin grape into Velez Malaga. The raisin district of Malaga extends along the southern coast of Spain for a distance of sixty or seventy miles. The district is subdivided into several other districts. Thus, the subdistrict of Malaga proper occupies a plain eighteen miles long by nine miles wide, in the northeast corner of which is situated the town of Malaga.
The best part of the whole district is, however, found at Velez Malaga, situated northeast of Malaga proper. It was here the raisin grape was first planted by the Romans or Phœnicians, and it was here also the devastating phylloxera first made its appearance. The raisin vineyards extend here not over a vega or plain, but occupy the fertile country along the coast or the litoral towards Malaga proper.
Beyond Velez Malaga to Algaroba, the Muscatel grape is of inferior quality, and is greatly superseded by the red Muscats, principally exported to France.
Another district is Marbella, on the coast, and in the interior we find Ronda and Albuñol. Of the principal towns in these districts, the population of Malaga is 120,000, that of Velez Malaga 24,000, of Marbella 7,700, and of Ronda 19,000.
Climate.
—The climate of Malaga is the very mildest. Frost is almost unknown, and is never heavy. The average temperature of Malaga during the winter months of November to January is 56 degrees Fahrenheit, while that of Pau in France is 41, and that of Nice 47. Malaga is well sheltered on the north and east by mountains, but is open to the south. It is the most equitable climate of Europe, although the winds are sometimes trying. The summer is very tempered. The air is, however, moist, and fog, while rare, is not entirely absent. Rain sometimes falls during the growing season of the grapes, and quite frequently during the drying season. But the fog is warm and not specially injurious to the grapes, the latter often growing within reach of the spray on the seashore.
Soil.
—The soil of the Malaga vineyards varies considerably, the best being a reddish clayey loam with much sand and gravel. But we have also other varieties of soil, such as the white ash, gray alluvial soils, and the very sandy loam on the hills.