*8ome Viticultural and Oenological Experiments con- 

 ducted at the Paarl Viticultural Experiment 

 Station during 1915-1916. 



By Dr. A. I. PEEOLD, Government Viticulturist for the Union of South Africa. 



INTRODUCTORY. 



As an annual report has to be very brief, any details about experimental work 

 have to be omitted, but these are of the greatest importance to viticulturists, 

 and should, therefore, be brought to their notice. It i* with this object in 

 view that the present bulletin has been written. 



The experiments are here grouped as follows : 



A. Viticultural : (a) Pruning and Trellising. 



(b) Sunburning of Grapes. 



(c) Thinning of Table Grapes. 



(d) Almeria Grapeo. 



(e) Local Sales of Table Grapes. 



(/) Experimental Shipments of Export Grapes. 



B. Oenological : (a) Hock Type. 



(b) Claret Type. 



(c) Sherry T}^pe. 



(d) Port Type. 



(e) Wine Brandy (Cognac Type). 



A. VlTICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS. 



(a) Pruning and Trellising. After trying different systems with over 100 

 different varieties of grapes for several years, it can now be stated that onlv 

 such vigorous varieties as Molinera Gorda (or Meraviglia de Malaga and Castiza, 

 with which it is practically identical), Black Manukka, White Crystal, and a 

 few others, together with such varieties as need long pruning to give good 

 crops, e.g. Sultana, Ohanez (Almeria), Black Currant (Cape), Karroo Belle, 

 Cabernet Sauvignon, and a few others, answer well when trellised and pruned 

 according to the Cazenave system. Here we have a permanent trunk on the 

 bottom wire with 4-6 short and .long (about 8-10 eyes) bearers to each vine, 

 the long bearers being tied to the middle wire. Varieties bearing well with 

 short pruning will give too heavy crops with long pruning, with the result 

 that the grapes ripen badly and are of poor quality, whilst the vines at the 

 same time suffer visibly. Most varieties of table grapes give the best results 

 when only short bearers of 2-3 eyes are given about 9 in. apart on a permanent 

 trunk resting on a strong (No. 8 or 10) wire with a second wire (say No. 12) 

 about 12 in. above it. Quite sufficient quantity and very satisfactory quality 

 are thus obtained. 



The modification of the Cazenave system known as the " fish-spine 

 method," where the long bearers are tied to outside wires. 15-18 in. away 



