lo April, 191 1 .] Wine Industry in Southern France. 



!4I 



As regards topping {Rognage) — 



This consists in tojjping the canes during the currency of summer to favour the 

 development of the berries and to allow more heat and light to penetrate the vines. 

 It is an operation which is diametrically opposed to the conditions under which the 

 vine should find itself in the Midi. Heat and drought demand that the soil should 

 be covered and shaded by the shoots, and that the grapes be protected by foliage 

 capable of preserving them from sunburn. Rognage is not practised, to our know- 

 ledge, in the vineyards of the region ; in our opinion it would be disastrous. 



The above quotations need no comment. They are not merely the 

 advice of scientists, but they are the summing up of the opinions current 

 in the region as the result of centuries of practical experience. The 

 avoidance of summer pruning in Herault is a lesson our northern growers 

 wot; Id do well to take to heart, for considerable injury is in many cases 

 done to our vines by ill-considered topping during the summer. The 

 work is easy and the vineyard is made to look trim and neat, though 

 at the cost of a reduction in subsequent years" yields. It is highly 



7. VINES AT AIGUES MORTES BEFORE PRUNING. 



probable that the small yields and straggly bunches, borne by Gordo 

 Blanco vines in many irrigated vineyards, are due to no other cause than 

 the excessive summer pruning to which this variety has been subjected 

 during previous seasons. 



The trellised Zante currant and sultana do not receive the severe 

 summer treatment meted out to the gooseberry trained Gordo; also, their 

 behaviour as regards continued productiveness is far more satisfactory. 

 Young Gordos usually bear veiy heavy crops of fine fruit for the first 

 few years; then the bunches become straggly, owing to imperfect setting. 

 To such an extent does this occur that many growers, despairing of ob- 

 taining a satisfactory " first crop " from their Gordos, submit them to 

 such a severe early topping as to promote an abundant '" .second crop " 

 which, curiously enough, often becomes the main croj). with this variety. 

 More logical treatment wot Id secure a satisfactory first croj) ; the fruit 

 of which is finer and. especially, i-ailier ihm the seiond crop can 

 possibly be. 



The evils of summer pruning are insidious and readilv escape notice, 

 since it is only on .sub.secjiient seasons' crops that tliev are felt. In<leed, 

 as we have already .seen, it usually leads to an improvement in yield, the 



