8 MAZADE : FIRST STEPS 



The verification of the precocity of bursting of the buds 

 may, in certain circumstances, be a useful indication. 



Leaves. The leaves of different varieties may, in most 

 cases, be distinguished from one another. It sometimes 

 happens that the leaves of a given cepage present partial 

 resemblances, in regard to shape, texture, and pubescence, to 

 those of another cepage, but the coincidence of all these 

 characters is not frequent. 



At the end of May,* the leaves possess characters which 

 are maintained without much modification till autumn. 

 They may therefore be studied during the whole summer. 

 This contributes, in a great measure, to the possibility of 

 distinguishing the cepages. 



Upper Portion of Growing Shoot. This de- 

 nomination is applied to the portion of the shoot in a state 

 of active growth, comprised between the free extremity and 

 the point where the young leaves have attained, more or less, 

 one-third of their normal development. The characters 

 drawn from this are excellent. They always serve as a 

 direct control of the observation made by means of the 

 leaves. These characters disappear naturally when the 

 active growth ceases. 



Grapes. When eating a Chasselas grape, we do not 

 suppose for a moment that it is a Berlandieri grape or the 

 product of any of the new hybrids ; we may, therefore, use 

 the grape as an excellent ampelographic character. But 

 grapes, when they have arrived at maturity, do not remain 

 long on the vine, as they are gathered at that moment. 

 Again, to speak only of one group, a black spherical berry 

 resembles very closely another black spherical berry, and 

 they are legion in each group. Slight variations in colour 

 and size are difficult to detect. The general shape of the 



* About November in Victoria. (Trans.) 



