24 Journal of Agriculture. [8 Jan., 1908. 



The removal of scion roots is very carefully carried out ir* the south 

 of France, and is looked upon as a mast indispensable operation. It is 

 usually performed in June or early July. In Switzerland and eastern 

 France this operation is performed rather later. Strange to say, in these 

 parts the sci'ans do not seem inclined to throw' such strong roots as they 

 do in the south. 



An miportant point in connexion with grafted nursuries is the necessity 

 to frequently change the land in which they are planted. It is not con- 

 sidered advisable to use the same land as a nursery for more than two or 

 three years running. The best nurserymen usually lease their land for 

 tW'O', or at most three years, after which it is devoted to other cultures. 

 After a few years it may again be used as a nursery. This change is 

 necessary to guard against Pourridie or root-rot, which gives trouble if 

 vines are repeatedly propagated on the same ground. 



SuBSOiLiNG. — Before leavir<g Australia, I wms glad to note that in- 

 tending planters were making arrangements for thorough and deep pre- 

 liminary preparation of the soil. It is therefore unnecessary to repeat 

 what has been so frequently urged. I must, however, briefly mention it 

 lest silerce on the point might lead some intending planters to discount 

 its importance. All I have seen, especially in the warm, south of France, 

 has only further emphasized the importance of this work:. No one thinks 

 of planting without first thoroughly trenching. This operation is usually 

 (performed before the end of summer. It is found that the work at this 

 season gives the best results. In France the ground is usually trenched, 

 W'ith a plough with a mould-board, and not subsoiled as we have found 

 most satisfactory in Australia. The reasons which cause one or other of 

 these methods to be preferred are local, and do not interfere with the 

 principle of deep preparation. 



Distance apart of Grafted Vines. — In the early days of reconsti- 

 tution growers w'ere advised to plant the grafted vines very far apart, on 

 account of the greater vigour of the American stock. It has been found, 

 however, that this was a mistake, and French growers, in most cases, now 

 plant at the same distance apart as their fathers did. Each district has 

 its particular distance, suited to local requirements. There seems to be 

 no irterest to alter this to any extent on account of the new conditions 

 under which the vines are made to grow. Owing, to the cost of the grafted 

 vines growers may be tempted to plant farther apart. They must avoid 

 being led into the mistake of too wide planting. 



Alterations in Methods of Training. — These are not very consider- 

 able. Each district in France has to a great extent preserved its time- 

 honoured method. The training of the vines on wire, however, has be- 

 come common in a good many districts Avhere it was not previously prac- 

 tised. The need to long-prune vines grafted on such stocks as Rupestris 

 du Lot, in order to make them set their fruit, has largely contributed to 

 the extension of the use of ware. A convenient method of training on 

 wire, which obviates the need for tying up the vines in early summer, is 

 employed in a good many places. Three wires are used, one wire is 

 situated an inch or two above the crowns of the vines. To this wire, the 

 rods or leaders, left at the winter pruning of the vine, are tied in the 

 usual way. Some 15 inches higher two other wires are placed, on the 

 same level, stapled to each side of each post. The growing shoots are 

 merely passed between these parallel wires, ard remain there without 

 requiring to be tied. 



The use of Rye Straw for tying Vines. — This is very general in 

 all districts where vines are tied up. In fact I scarcely saw raffia used 



