lo April, 1911.] Wine I ndusiry in SoutJiern France. 239- 



with the usual beneficial result in the direction of promoting fruit pro- 

 duction. The bases of the rods, which as usval are mostly bare, are the 

 parts which are crossed. This bare portion is covered bv the canes from 

 the wood spurs, so that the vine presents a well garnished mass of foliage 

 and the fruit is protected from the hot sun. This crossing of the rods 

 also shortens the length of wire occupied by each vine and enables a 

 greater number of vines to be planted in the row. 



Though strongly recommenfled l)y its partisans, some of whom have 

 applied it to large vineyards, the considerable increase in yield claimed 

 for it does not appear to have been always obtained. In some cases, 

 though an increase was noted for a year or two it was not maintained 

 and m spite of abundant manuring, smaller yields resulted later.* 



The varieties grown in Herault are eminently suited for the "Goblet" 

 style and, when over 3,000 gallons per acre is frequently yielded by it, 

 the need for improvement does not seem very urgent. Though some 

 varieties will do well with either short or long pruning, others, again, are 

 only suited by the former.! This is probably the explanation of the 

 unsatisfactory nature of several trials. At any rate, the " Quarante " 

 method, in spite of the strong recommendation of its ad\'ocates, has only 

 displaced the time-honoured " Goblet " system in a limited number of 

 cases. 



Many of the varieties we grow in Victoria are well adapted for long 

 pruning, and for these the crossing of the rods, which is the leading 

 feature of the method, will very probably be found advantageous. 



Pruning Tools. — The secateur in general use is the large two-handed 

 one, such as has been adopted in several districts of South Australia but 

 which is scarcely known yet in Victoria. It has no spring, and as it 

 takes both hands to work it, the prunings must be allowed to fall where 

 they are cut. In Herault, they are afterwards removed by women who 

 make them into faggots which serve for fuel, firewood being scarce and 

 dear. Their value for this purpose is just about equivalent to that of 

 the labour which their collection entails. This specialization is in reality 

 es.sentially logical. The skilled pruner attends solely to the pruning, 

 leaving the removal of cuttings to unskilled and cheaper labour. 



This secateur is made entirely of steel. One of its handles is drawn 

 out to form a small chisel, useful for cutting out suckers, &g. Awkward 

 though this tool appeals at first sight, I was assured that a man could 

 prune considerably more vines in a day with less fatigue than if he used 

 the ordinary small secateur. Thorough cuUiNation, abundant manuring, 

 and a warm summer climate promote very vigorous growth and the canes- 

 are so strong as to need a powerful implement. 



The Herault secateur luing capable of cutting any portion of the 

 vine one may have to deal with in the ordinary course of events, the saw 

 is .scarcely ever required — a distinct gain, ami one whicli is very desirable 

 in our vineyards in which excessive and ill-considered use of the saw is 

 responsible for more damage to the \ines than is usually credited. 



• Roe M. Jiiies l.eciibarflf , Rtrvt de Vilindture. Vol. Vr., p. 6?i. 



t rostc-Florct, in llmii' ile VitiruHurf, Vol. VIT., pngc lr■^_ recalls rxporimonts cundiictivl l>y Tourhr 

 in i8u wlirn li<' fniiiicl Mu-<iats, Aspirnn. Ti^rrot. Clnirofto, I'ic-Ardiint. Aniinon. I'lipi'-poul, Hinl 

 Torrct-Botirrct to (111 well witli lona |)niniiiu'. whilst the fdllowinu wcri' iinsiiitod for it :— OCillade Xoir, 

 Olivi'tfc, Alicante (Orcnacho), Cnrignnnr, S|i.Tr (Mutaro), Mouratti-I and CiiiRaut. 



