CONTINENT OF AFRICA. 

 MOROCCO. 



I 

 REPORT BY CONSUL MATHEWS, OF TANGIER. 



(Eepublished from Consular Eeports, No. 41$.) 



The grape-vine is truly a cosmopolitan plant ; is a gross feeder ; it will 

 flourish in the richest soil as well as in the poorest, on hills and in 

 valleys and amongst rocks ; in fact it will grow and its roots will find 

 their way in the smallest crevices of rocks, where no other plant will 

 grow ; the vine will stand repeated droughts as well as the most severe 

 winters. The preferable soil is that which contains alkali and lime. 

 Manure will increase the yield of fruit and assist in resisting diseases 

 and insects. 



The vine will live in, bat is impatient of, continued or stagnant wet 

 soil. 



The vine raised from cuttings is capable of producing a given quantity 

 of wood and fruit to perfection, and if allowed to exceed that propor- 

 tionate quantity, a small, unripe fruit, and rusting, shriveling, or other 

 evils will be certain consequences. 



When a little less proportion of wood and fruit than the vine can 

 mature is left on it no evil can be derived, but certain advantages. 



The vine bears on shoots of the present year out of the wood of last 

 year ; hence the practice of leaving a sufficient quantity of last year's 

 wood. 



There are numerous ways of pruning vines ; every country, in fact 

 every province, has its favorite way ; but always bearing in mind that 

 so long as a proper quantity of last year's wood be preserved, and not 

 too much be left to push fruit and wood, a vine will bear, the actual 

 style of pruning and training may be suited to the place in which it has 

 to grow. In Jerez and other places they cut the first roots near the sur- 

 face of the soil, to allow the lower roots all the force to penetrate deeper 

 in the soil ; in other places they condemn this practice. Still, the Jerez 

 vineyards, treated as stated, leave nothing to be desired. 



The length of barren stem before the branches are allowed to start is 

 immaterial ; therefore a vine with its bearing wood 30 feet high on the 

 roof of a house and a bare stem all up the front will give as much and 

 as fine fruit as a fellow- vine with its bearing wood within a foot of the 

 ground. 



77S 



