lo Mar.. 1911.] Tlie Wine Industry in Southern France. 201 



The above somewhat lengthy description of the old fashioned araire 

 is, however, necessary, for two reasons. In the first place it shows 

 how the implement we are so readv to class as hopelessly obsolete may 

 yet possess advantages which recommend it, at lea.st for certain work, 

 such as the winter ploughing. There can be no doubt that the heavy 

 crops obtained are in large measure due to the thoroughness with which 

 this operation is executed. It is to this very thoroughness that the sur- 

 vival of the araire is due, notwithstanding the fact thfat modern American 

 and other ploughs are everywhere obtainable. The French farmer is 

 not unduly conservative; he is, on the contrary, always ready to try 

 new implements and machinery. If he is loth to give up the primitive 

 plough of his fathers it is owing to its efficiency, and not to any other 

 reason. 



In the second place, the question presents itself whether we have, ii^ 

 our quest after cheapness and the execution of the greatest amount of 

 work in the shortest possible time, always kept the main object in view. 

 The .soils of our vineyards are scarcely ever loosened, in winter, to -'' 

 depth of anvthing like 6 inches, let alone the 8 inches frequently attained 

 in Herault. The advantages of such deep ploughing in the direction cf 

 securing re.ser\es of moisture alone, not to speak of aeration of the soil, 

 should be even greater in northern Victoria than in Heriuilt. with its 

 heavier rainfall and less active evaporation. 



How THE Soil is ^^'oRKED. 



In order to realize the importance of the different cultural operations 

 performed in the Herault vineyards, and to thoroughlv understand the 

 nature of each, it is necessary to go back a considerable number of year.s ; 

 to the time, in fact, when the whole of the \ineyard work was performed 

 by hand. To again quote from H. Mare.s — 



Each working bears a particular name, which testifies to its high anti(|uitv. 

 Proof of the necessity and suitability of each is found in the fact that for mere 

 than two thousand years the vignerons of the same provinces have been led to 

 practise them at the same epochs.* The first working bears the name of Toncha 

 . it should move the soil more detpiv than the others; to an average depth 

 of o. in 20 (about 8 inches). When . too shallow the soil is not loosened 



sufficiently and with the first dry weather it loses its moisture, so necessary for the 

 vine to resist the heat of summer. 



The second . . . bears the name of Majcnqita ; il is the Mav working, as in<li- 

 cated by its name. ... Its object is to kill many weeds . . . and preserve the 

 looseness due to the first working; it should therefore penetrate nearly as deeply. 



The third . . . is named Tierca or third working. Its object is to break 

 the crust . . . and kill summer weeds. ... It should be e.xecuted from 

 i^th June to 15th Julv (in Kuro]...) . . . and should penetrate from o, m oS tc. 

 o, m 10 (3 to 4 inches). 



He points out elsewhere that whil.st two workings are absolutely in- 

 dispensable, the first between January and March, and the second f^om 

 T sth Mav to 24th June (in luirope) they are not sufficient. If the 'X'st 

 result.N are to be oV)taine<l. it is necessary to interpolate a third one. 



Later on, when the arain- came into use and was employed to do all 

 work done bv animal tractinn. the three fundamental oiJerations descriKd 

 above Were performed with it and supplemented, where necessary. b\- 



hand h(X'ing. 



. ^ —"^■^ . . 



* IIP here rccalN tin- pn-ssaK^p in wliii'li Ciiliinipllii sa\si. "M'clsns niid Alliens .nirrce thn» iIipm- iin- 

 thrpr ii.Ttin:il niovpnirnts in tht- vine, or rallicr in pvcrv kind of trpi- tlip first wliii-li makes thi ni inrit «,>■«• 

 in size. th<- -imoimI wliidi iniiki's tlirni IImhit, and llip lliiifl wliidi uiakes tliPin rippii. The' tliink that 

 tillini: .sirvc!. t.. aiiiinaii- tlii'M- iniixr iiu-ni~ l.i .jii^p N^itint- i>id\ riadic's iln- iilijci.t of her desires, iii^> inmU 

 jis she is aiili-d In work joineil with »t-.iil>. 



oj .j-^^ 1 1 



