83 



formations are rare, and onr soils suffer from a deficiency ratHer 

 than from an excess of lime. They are, therefore, exceptionally 

 -well suited for American vines. 



Certain American varieties are better suited than others for 

 ^certain conditions of soil and climate ; but I have no hesitation 

 ■in saying that, great has been the success of American vines in 

 France, they are destined to be an even greater success with us, 

 .owing chiefly to our freedom from excess of lime. 



The ^affinity existing between different stocks and scions is 

 becoming of greater importance year by year, as the requirements 

 ■of the different French and American vines in this direction are 

 becoming better known. It has been observed- that Hermitage 

 does remarkably well when grafted on most Americans, especially 

 on Riparia and Rupestris stocks. Mataro, on the other hand^ 

 grows very feebly when grafted on these same stocks, whilst both 

 Aramon and Carignane do well grafted on Rupestris, although not 

 4uite so well on Riparia. 



Although we must take advantage of all available information 

 •on this important point, here again our freedom from excess of 

 iime gives us a distinct advantage over French growers. The 

 same vine which gives unsatisfactory results when grafted on a 

 certain stock in an unfavorable soil might do very well if growing 

 Jn a soil better suited to the American root system. 



I&rafting enables use to be made of the most thoroughly re- 

 sistant American sorts, which, but for this operation, would not be 

 -worth cultivating on account of the poor quality and quantity of 

 their fruit. These advantages greatly outweigh the disadvantage 

 presented by the necessity of grafting, an operation which is 

 always more or less delicate and expensive in a country where the 

 rate of wages is as high as it is with us, and vignerons are often 

 far from efficient or careful in their work. 



The grafting difficulty is, however, not so serious as might ap- 

 pear at first sight. It only increases the first cost of establishing 

 . the vineyard as, once in bearing, the vines on American roots 

 require the same treatment as if growing on their own roots. Nor is 

 -this first cost very heavy. Although many thousand acres were 

 reconstituted in France by first establishing the American vines 

 and then grafting to French varieties, a more simple method is 

 tuow almost universally adopted, which does not even necessitate 

 the rooting of the American stock before grafting. 



Phylloxera resistant vines are now obtained by simply making 

 & nursery of grafted cuttings, the lower part which will produce 

 the roots being American, whilst the upper part which will form 

 the stem leaves and fruit is European. 



The graft takes and the cutting strikes simultaileously, and at 

 ;the end of a year one has phylloxera-resistant grafted vines ready 

 for plantation. 



6313, C 



