^38 



Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. 



[lo April, 1911. 



Fig. I it will be seen that the new method requires three cuts, as against 

 four for the old. 



Elongation of the arms is also more thoroughly guarded against, since 

 -the lower spur is rigorously limited to two eyes. Therj is, however, no 

 need to strictly limit the eyes on the second spur, since it will be entirely 

 removed at the next pruning. Two, three or even four eyes may be 

 left, as shown in Fig. 4. A vine pruned in this way possesses con- 

 siderable elasticity. It is sometimes difficult to gauge the exact number 

 -of spurs a given vine is able to properly nourish. By pruning as shown 

 in Fig. 4, even if rather too many buds are left, no harm will be done 

 to the shape of the vine, since the lower buds of the second spur of each 

 pair are those which would remain dormant. 



COMPARISON OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PRUNING. 



-2. Ordinary short pruned vine with six arms. 3. Vine pruned to three " Hare's 

 ears." 4. " Hare's ears '' pruning with second sjjur of varying; length. 



The "Hare's ears" style is not only applicable to "Goblet" vines; 

 it also lends itself to cordons (permanent leaders with short spurs situated 

 along them at intervals) trained on wire, so suitable for the Zante currant 

 and several of our good table grapes. In this case, instead of the single 

 spurs usually left, the pruner would provide one-half the number of 

 " Hare's ears." It is scarcely necessary to point out that this method 

 need not be rigorously applied to every arm or portion of a vine ; its 

 adoption where the vigour of growth and other conditions warrant it, will, 

 however, no doubt be found useful by practical pruners. 



" Quaranfe " style of pruning. 

 — As previously stated, short 

 pruning has always been the re- 

 cognised system in the region. A 

 departure from this rule was made 

 some years ago- by a M. Laforgue 

 in the neighbourhood of the village 

 of Quarante — hence the name of 

 the new method. He trellised 

 and long pruned his vines with 

 satisfactory results. Enormous yields were obtained and some ten years 

 ago much prominence was given to the innovation in the viticultural press 

 of southern France. M. Eaforgue had several imitators, and at the pre- 

 sent time, a good many vineyards are trained on wire and long pruned. 



The "Quarante" system of pruning is illustrated in Fig. 5. It is 

 really a very slight modification of the well known double " Guyot " 

 system, so extensively practised in northern Victoria, whenever sorts re- 

 quiring long pruning are trained on trellis. 



The modification consists in crossing the long rods. This presents 

 :several advantages. The bending of the tissues checks the flow of sap. 



QUARANTE'" SYSTEM VINE 



BEFORE PRUNING. 



