148 Agricultural Journal of Victoria. 



On the <-)tliei' hand, the ripening of tlie fruit is retarded by about ten days 

 or a fortnight, and the grapes are distinctly less sweet and ligliter in 

 colour. The leaves, too, are not of such a dark green, and the growth 

 is considerably less than in untreated vines, though under irrigation 

 the latter is not likely to be viewed as a disadvantage. The currant 

 crop at Maclaren Vale, on vines where no ringing was done, was almost 

 a total failure, though in other districts a normal crop was obtained ; 

 no doubt a few days earlier or later in the blossoming would account 

 for the different results, a fierce hot wind during the critical ])eriod 

 being the cause of the failure. 



The ultimate effect of this ringing on the life and health of the 

 vines is ditficidt to forecast. It cannot be said at present whether the 

 operation, to be effective, will need to be done every year ; probably, 

 however, once in two or three years will answer, since the first result 

 is to check the vine, and the subsequent growth not being so strong 

 there is reason to expect that the following cro]^ would also be affected. 

 Indiscriminate ringing year after year might easily so impair the 

 health of the vine as to cause death in the long run. AMiere a ring of 

 bark, a quarter of an inch wide, was taken out two years ago, the 

 effect on the vines was most injurious, since it resulted in a stunted 

 growth and a tendency to throw out shoots below the incision. We 

 have still tc» find out whether the increased yield with the single cut 

 will weaken the vines to any extent, and if so how c»ften it will be 

 safe to do it. To sum up, so far as our present knowlege permits us 

 to hazard an opinion, it would seem that there is reason to expect con- 

 siderable and continued good effects from the simple incision, but due 

 caution must be observed in this as in all new departures. The 

 weakly vines must not be touched, only those in vigorous growth. 



