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over 94 per cent. Thus it will be seen that a large margin is left for local 

 consumption, and no doubt much of the wine produced realises more than 

 4M. a gallon. Nevertheless, whenever there exists in a country a floating 

 exportable margin of any article over and above local requirements, the 

 pressure of low export prices must make itself felt on the home markets, 

 with the inevitable result that many individuals are involved in great hard- 

 ships. The result in Tunisia has been that uprooting has been started on a 

 small scale, and, unless export prices show an upward tendency in the near 

 future, it is probable that uprooting will be followed on a more extensive 

 scale. 



In this connection it is worth noting that the Tunisian vinegrowers are 

 practically defenceless when faced with unremunerative prices for their 

 wines. As is the case in the south of Europe generally, the cellars must 

 be cleared before the new vintage, since no provision is ever made for storing 

 more than one vintage at a time. Further, buyers would be more inclined 

 to dock a wine that was more than one year old than offer a higher price 

 for it. Hence the owner is practically compelled to accept whatever price 

 is offering. Unfortunately, November the time of my visit to Tunisia 

 represents the dead season in so far as the vine is concerned, and I did not 

 have occasion to see many vineyards. I could not help noticing, however, 

 a certain amount of neglect in the general upkeep of some vineyards, the 

 owners of which in former years took a special pride in the thoroughness of 

 their work. After all, 212galls. of wine to the acre at 4Jd. at the port of 

 export represents a gross return of only 4 an acre, which, after deduction 

 of working expenses and interest on capital engaged, cannot leave much in 

 the way of net profits. 



In normal times, however, very little fault can be found with the general 

 manner in which Tunisian vineyards are handled. Opinions in favor of 

 subsoiling before planting appear to be very firmly rooted. It is stated that 

 whenever the practice has been adopted the vineyard has come earlier into 

 bearing, and in years of drought has suffered far less than vineyards that had 

 not been subsoiled. Couch grass is the special bugbear of the Tunisian 

 vinegrower, and it is strongly urged that this weed should always be thoroughly 

 cleared out of the ground before planting operations have been started. 

 If this weed be allowed to get a firm hold of a vineyard it has the effect of 

 reducing yields very considerably ; and to eradicate it completely from 

 established vineyards some growers have been put to expenditure varying 

 from 16 to 20 to the acre. 



All Tunisian vines are grown on the bush, and trellising is practically 

 unknown. Spur-pruned varieties are almost exclusively grown, with the 

 exception of a few occasional patches of Shiraz or Carbenet. Artificial 

 manures appear to have been no more effective for vines in Tunisia than 



