lo Sept., 1908.] Viticulture in Eurofe. 551 



one another at intervals of about 20 inches. The rods to the number of 

 ]o to 15 vary from a foot to 6 feet in length according to the strength of 

 the vine. The system will be readily understood from the photographs 

 reproduced. 



The posts and wires are expensive, the former especially, owing to the 

 great scarcity of timber. Sometimes iron piping is used instead of wooden 

 posts. The establishment of a vineyard is estimated to cost from jQ6o 

 to ^80 per acre, including the grading of the land ; and, judging from 

 what I have seen, it is difficult to see how the work could be done for less. 

 Returns, however, are abundant- The yield of the Almeria vines, when 

 properly cultiv'ated and irrigated, is, usually from 7 to 10 tons of grapes 

 per acre (Richter). 



Irrigation. 



The land is all most carefully graded into plots of variousi sizes 

 according to its slope; each plot is surrounded by a small dam for irriga- 

 tion, which is always applied by flooding. The water must be carefully 

 applied, and especially not too near the ripening season, or the quality of 

 the fruit, and more particularly its carrying quality, will suffer. Winter 

 irrigation is largely practised. Care is taken that the subsoil gets a good 

 soaking either from rain or irrigation. In a normal season one summer 

 watering is given in the month of June (December in Australia) — should 

 the season be an exceptionally dry one two summer irrigations are given, 

 one in early June and the second aJ month late;r. Large sums have been 

 spent in providing storage basins for water. In some places dams have 

 been made across blind gullies where water is caught and retained for 

 summer use. 



Cultivation. 



This is usually done by bullocks, the Roman plough being the instrument 

 used. There is ample room under the trellises for the plough and the 

 bullocks though a tall man would have to stoop slightly. One wonders 

 why the " parrales " are. not built 6 inches higher. 



One deep winter cultivation is practically all the vines receive. A light 

 harrowing is given after irrigation. From the 15th of August to the 

 vintage the soil is not touched. An idea seems to prevail that interference 

 with it during this period would have a prejudicial effect on the quality 

 of the fruit. 



Manure is applied, but not in large quantities ; over manuring and over 

 cultivation are alike held to reduce quality. Though richer soils yield 

 heavier crops, it is poor deep soils which produce the best grapes. 



Summer pruning. — Disbudding is practised, most of the shoots without 

 fruit being removed. Those bearing fruit are stopped back- Cincturing 

 such as we know it is not practised, though a form of it known as Capar 

 las Parrales is sometimes practised. This consists in removing a narrow 

 ring of bark on the shoot of the current year beyond the bunches. It is 

 strange that ordinary cincturing has not been tried ; with a variety so 

 prone to faulty setting of its fruit, good results could no doubt be obtained 

 from it. 



Gathering and Packing. 



The fruit is usually gathered rather on the unripe side ; it completes 

 its maturity in the granulated cork or " serin " in which it is packed. The 

 grapes ripen about October, but packing goes on from about the middle of 

 October until Christmas. 



