24-2 



J ounial of Agriculture, Victoria. 



[lo April, 1911. 



iirst season it is applied. This digression may be permitted in the hope 

 that it may illustrate one of the lessons we can most usefullv learn from 

 southern France. 



The summer appearance of Herault vineyards is not easily forgotten. 

 The abundant foliage completely hides the ground from view. Some 

 idea of the closeness of vegetation will be gained from the photographs 

 reproduced, the first of which shows a small portion of the large vineyard 

 of Guilhermain, during the summer : whilst the second, taken in early 

 winter, just before pruning, shows the amount of growth made by the 

 closely planted (5 x 5) vines at Aigues Mortes. 





FIELD-GRAFTING AT THE VITICULTURAL COLLEGE. 



G. H. Adcnck. F.L.S., Principal. 



The accompanying photographs, taken in the Viticultural College vine- 

 yard by Mr. Garnet Adcock, show in a striking manner the value of field- 

 grafting — a system which is now rapidly gaining in favour among vignerons, 

 inasmuch as bv it'; adoption cmsiderable time is saved. The rooted 



resistant stocks, of which 

 large quantities are an- 

 nually available at 

 nominal rates, are planted 

 out in the vineyard. The 

 following .season they may 

 be. and usually are, 

 grafted. The root-system 

 already established en- 

 ables the scion to develop 

 ^ery rapidly and quickly 

 surpass the bench-graft. 



The block of land on 

 which the vines illus- 

 I lated are growing was 

 nriginally considered so 

 inferior that, when the 

 nrchard was planted, it 

 was left severely alone. 

 \ot only w^as it unused 

 but it was quite an eye- 

 sore. Under the present 

 management, however, it 

 FiELD-GKAFT— 5 MONTHS GRO\\TH. was thoroughly trenched 



2 feet deep. At the same time large quantities of fresh farm-yard manure 

 and vegetable refuse were added. It has been set apart to demonstrate 

 what can be done on small areas with \-ines trellised o\erhead, as is adopted 

 somewhat extensively in Spain. 



The plot was first planted with rooted grafts imported from France, 

 as it was some newly imported varieties we wished to test. These, un- 

 fortunately, arrived in such inferior condition that practically all died. 

 The spaces thus left were planted up as soon as possible with ungrafted, 

 rooted resistant stocks. This was in October, 1909. Rather less than a 

 year later, viz., at the end of last September, these stocks were grafted 



