4 MAZADE : FIKST STEPS 



in a cooler region. The various systems of pruning and 

 training also accentuate the differences in the aspect of a 

 vine. All these changes greatly diminish the advantage of 

 a recollection of the general physiognomy. It is therefore 

 necessary to seek for more rapid means, permitting the for- 

 mation of the visual image Of a variety in the mind to be 

 hastened, capable of furnishing a control to the first uncon- 

 scious impressions. 



The method which seems indicated at first sight, is the 

 study of the lengthy descriptions given in general works on 

 ampelography. These works, as is commonly known, enter 

 into details with minute exactitude. But they require a 

 certain initiation, and the scientific pre-occupation of the 

 authors gives an impression of dryness to beginners. 



There is another means in actual use in several Schools of 

 Viticulture in Europe, where students are encouraged to visit 

 labelled collections of vines every day. Thanks to these 

 collections, students can now, in the course of a single sum- 

 mer, learn to recognise most varieties. They arrive at this 

 result by examining every week, if not every day, the varie- 

 ties indicated to them by the teacher, who explains the 

 partial characters. In other cases, when the characters are 

 not given by the teacher, the students are required to find, 

 without assistance, the salient and distinctive features. Once 

 possessed of these characters, they very soon learn to recog- 

 nise almost all the American stocks, and some of the 

 European vines. After this, it is simply a question of fre- 

 quency of visits to the collection of vines. 



This method leads to a final result comparable to that 

 obtained by the vine-grower after many years' sojourn 

 amongst his vines. But the course pursued is quite inverse. 

 The vigneron waits till the impression forms in his mind, 

 and it is only accidentally that he is able to pass from the 

 general characters to details. In the case of the student, 

 on the contrary, it is the special points which at first attract 



