THE VINE IN AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. 789 



In Voslan and vicinity for the last fifteen years the soil has also been worked a fourth 

 time, at the end of the vintage in October or November, by digging the soil as deep as 

 possible, in order to keep it loose during the winter, which has an extraordinarily 

 favorable influence on the growth of the vine and renders the working in spring much 

 more easy. 



This example has often been folio wed, and in coarse of time no doubt this fourth 

 working will be generally adopted. 



In some districts, especially in Voslan, in the plains and on some hills lately, the 

 vines were trained on wire frames after the French style, in order to be able to work 

 the soil with the plow. The number of workings is the same as with hand work. 

 The plows employed were mostly imported from France. 



The full fruit-bearing period of a vineyard occurs at different periods, according to 

 the situation, nature of the soil, etc. Most vines will fully produce the fifth year 

 after the planting, but with some kinds, like Burgundy, this will happen the seventh 

 or eighth year. The time during which the capacity of producing will last depends 

 upon the situation, nature of the soil, and especially upon a careful working. 



Some well-cultivated vineyards will give a good return even after thirty years, 

 whilst neglected ones will lose their fertility much sooner. Vineyards on the plains 

 which have often suffered from spring frosts also soon lose their fertility, whereas 

 there are vineyards on the slopes which are more than fifty years old and still give a 

 sufficient return. 



Artificial irrigation is nowhere employed in Lower Austria in the cultivation of the 

 vine. 



The yield of one hectare,* without regard to the various ages, varies according to 

 the situation, the nature of the growth, and the kind of grape. 



On an average a return of 40 hectoliters! per hectare may be obtained in Lower 

 Austria. 



The value of a hectare of vineyard property in Lower Austria depends upon the 

 district, and there again upon its particular situation, and varies from 400 florinbj to 

 5,000 florins. 



The working expenses naturally are unequal in the various districts. In V5slan 

 the same amount to 550 florins to 600 florins per hectare per year/includiug fertilizers, 

 whereas they are much less in most of the other districts. 



The vineyards of Austria-Hungary, in 1881, covered 1,192,446 acres ; 

 of which 440,722 acres belonged to Austria and 742,724 acres to Hun- 

 gary. The area cultivated varies very slightly from year to year. 



The fruit gathered is almost entirely consumed for the manufacture 

 of wine, as only 4,338 tons of grapes are reported as being sold for table 

 consumption in Austria-Hungary in 1881. 



Furthermore, the quality of grapes cultivated for wine are, as a rule, 

 not suited for table use, being much less palatable than the well-known 

 varieties in the United States, nor are they suitable for the raisin indus- 

 try, as they possess neither size nor pulp sufficient for the drying pro- 

 cess. 



The average wine production of Austria- Hungary during the last five 

 years, 1879-'83, amounted to 6,954,934 hectoliters, of which 2.603,956 

 hectoliters were produced in Austria and 4,350,978 hectoliters were 

 produced in Hungary. 



* 1 hectare =2.471 acres. 



1 1 hectoliter=26.43 wine gallons. 



1 1 florin =40.1 cents United States currency. 



