8 May, 1907.] Rcconstitution in the Girondc. 315 



instead of to fruit, hut tlie most serious objection to them of all is that they 

 are not as long lived as the Riparia or Riparia Rupestris hybrids. When 

 grafted oii Riparia the European vine is always very much larger than the 

 stock, \et at 25 vears of age there is not the very slightest sign of failing. 

 This is not the case with vines grafted on Rupestris, which through then- 

 extraordinary vigour during the first ten years seem to run themselves out 

 and become unprofitable to cultivate, and even die before they are 20 years 

 old. If this is not an absolutely general opinion it is certainly a. very 

 commonlv expressed one, and as such should recei\-e very serious considera- 

 tion. This opinion is perhaps as much applied to the Metallica and the 

 Martin as to the Rupestris du Lot, and it is \ery noticeable that neither 

 of the first two varieties appears in any nurseryman's new catalogue. 

 Putting these two varieties then out of the question for the moment particu- 

 larly as one of them, the Martin, has already proved a failure in Victoria 

 it would be of interest to briefly review the peculiarities of the Rupestris 

 du Lot. First, I would refer to Messrs. Wilkinson and Dubois'_ excellent 

 translation of Viala and Ravaz work on American vines. In it readers 

 will find a carefullv detailed description of each varietv of American vine. 

 In the first place "Rupestris du Lot has a peculiar root system and its 

 roots are verv deep-sinking. It is for these reasons that it has been pre- 

 eminent! v chosen for very dry land. Now it can be easily understood that 

 this tendency of the roots towards deep-sinking may occasionally lead to 

 difficulties where the subsoil is uncongenial to the vine. The main roots 

 may work through the arable land and find themselves deprived of the 

 nourishment which is necessary to them, or else the subsoil _ may be too 

 moist to suit the peculiar requirements of the roots. During the first 

 few years the roots are drawing upon the cultivated land and the vine is 

 immenseh- vigorous, and later, if fresh surface roots are not TOntinualh- 

 thrown out, there is a lack of congenial sustenance and the vine suffers. 

 I look upon this theorv as being far more reasonable in explaining the 

 short life of the grafted Rupestris than to put down the lack of longevit\- 

 to the peculiarity of the vine in exhausting itself during its youth. Care- 

 ful pruning would no doubt enable the Rupestris grafts to be prolific, 

 but on the average the fruit does not set quite as well as upon vines grafted 

 on the hvbrids and on Riparia unless when grown upon the Yery_ poorest 

 and stoniest soils. Confining then the above arguments to Victorian con- 

 ditions, Rupestris du Lot should be planted on the dry hill tops, the 

 hybrids on the slopes and the Riparia Gloire on the fiats. Rupestris 

 ^ietallica should be classed as perhaps second to Rupestris du Lot for the 

 driest stony ridges as it has already shown signs of becoming well acclima- 

 tized in Victoria. Rupestris Ganzin is now entirely neglected except in its 

 hybridized form as Aramon x Rup. Ganzin. This variety and the 1202 

 ]\Iourvedre x Rupestris are much cultivated and appear absolutely resistant 

 to phvlloxera. Thev are largely used as stocks for Muscats and other 

 s])ongy, pithy wooded varieties which are grafted with difficulty. They 

 are most prolific and so far have shown every sign of longevity. For all 

 ordinary conditions then these two varieties can be safely used, and par- 

 ticularlv for the drying sorts. Coming to the question of aflfinity. The 

 ordinary wine-making varieties offer no difficulties at all. Usually the 

 firmer the wood and the denser the tissue the better the strike. Gordos 

 and Muscats and also Zante currants have been as yet but little grafted 

 in France, but their lack of aflfinity with the American vine is well recog- 

 nised. This lack of affinity is due to the wood being very spongy and 

 pithy, and to lessen this difficulty it would be as well to grow vines 



