lo May, 1909.] Cataluiia. 325 



graft, the shouldered cleft is practised, with a very naxrow wedge on the 

 scion. Senor Sabate employs a special grafting machine made according 

 to his own design ; the grafts are bound with raffia. 



Instead of callusing in seaweed, ordinary moss is employed, such 

 as M. Richter suggested in his earlier trials. This is obtainable in the 

 Catalan hills at i peseta per bag — thousands of bags are secured each 

 season. It may be used a couple of seasons in succession, but fresh 

 moss is preferred, the previous season's being employed for the packing 

 of grafted rootlings. Charcoal is not mixed with the moss (to prevent 

 moulds) nor are the cuttings treated with any antiseptic. The raffia with 

 which the grafts are tied is, however, pickled in a sulphate of copper 

 solution. Moulds appear, nevertheless, to give but little trouble and 

 the quality of the grafted rootlings obtained appeared to me to be all 

 that could be desired. As regards other points, such as moisture and 

 temperature during callusing, the work appears to be conducted on 

 similar lines to those followed at Montpellier and Valencia. The cal- 

 lusing cases contain about 1,500 grafts each and are kept fo'r 25 davs 

 at a temperature of 77" F. The callused grafts are planted out in 

 March (September in Australia), in nursery rows 31 inches apart, at 

 intervals of 2 inches from one another. The depth at which the\ are 

 planted is such that the point of union is a couple of inches abovf the 

 surface so that when, later on, the protecting mound is levelled it is 

 above ground. Scion roots are cut twice during the season ; after the 

 first cutting the mound is reformed, but after the second the graft is 

 exposed so- as to harden it off and insure thorough seasoning. Irri- 

 gation is largely practised, the nurseries being watered about everv ten 

 days during the summer. Manure is generously applied though it is 

 never placed in contact with the young vines. Considerable quantities 

 of sulphate of iron are added in the manure pits. Apart from the 

 usual chemical effect, this is held tO' destroy man\- injurious beetles and 

 their larvse. 



Seiior Sabate drove me in a tartana to see several of his outlying 

 nurseries and fields of mother vines. At one of these, grafted rootlings 

 were being lifted ; g^^ngs of three men and a boy to each row were 

 engaged at this v/ork. Two men with forks loosened the soil on each 

 side, the third with a very strong two pronged fork was then able to 

 bodily raise the grafted plant from below so that the boy could lift it 

 out without breaking any roots. The photograph reproduced shows this 

 work in operation. I also saw some ground being got ready for plan- 

 tation in the following March. The work Avas very thoroughly done and 

 the land was in beautiful order. 



We then visited the Finca de la Suerte. where there are some large 

 plantations of mother vines for wood production, and also a fine col- 

 lection of table grapes; among the former I noticed particularly 20.000 

 vines of 41B, 28,000 of 1202, 6,000 of 420A, 20,000 of A.R.G.9.. and 

 2,000 A. R.G.I. This property was formerly a vineyard yielding 

 50,000 gallons of wine liut it has now almost entirelv been transformed 

 into mothei vines, partly bv grafting. These were planted at about 

 6 -%. 6 feet apart and as usual in European mother vine plantations, they 

 are pruned according to the very short polla.rd system known as foda de 

 m'lmhre in Spanish (Tete de Saule in French). The vines are not 

 trained or tied up in any vray during the growing season ; wlien the 

 cuttings are removed, all shoots are pruned off flush with the old wood 

 of the crown. 



