February i, 1890.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
573 
to the main stem. For convenience in working the 
ground and keeping it clean, the stake or goblet svs'em 
is preferable to tlie trellis; but, on the other hand, a 
larger q«»r:t5tr of fruit is secured bv the latter system. 
Mr. Searle has adopted the trellis, as it answers his 
purpose very well with the small area of land he has 
under cultivation, and which can be easily worked and 
kept clean. 
As knowledge of the nature and habits of the grape 
vine increases amongst the viticulturists of this colony, 
it will doubtless be found when viticulture has become 
a fixed industry that different varieties of vines require 
different varieties of soil. 
In the Mitchell district are to be found different 
classes of soil — rich, deep loam, scrub land of volcanic 
formation, and sandy soil "well drained, and yet 
retaining sufficient moisture to develop the fruit pven 
in such a protracted drought as the district was suffer- 
ing from at the time of my visit. 
Although Mr. Searle is but an amateur, he has got 
hold of the correct idea that by grafting be can in- 
crease the hardihood of his vines and secure a better 
class of fruit. As yet he has experimented with only 
one vine, but to judge from appearances his graft has 
been a thorough success. 
Grafting is a matter that the viticulfurists of this 
colony cannot too soon devote some time and attention 
to, for it is a well-known fact that by grafting the more 
delicate vines on to stocks that have proved themselves 
more able to resist the diseases that grape vines are 
subject to in this colony, the better chance there is of 
securing a crop than by growing direct from the parent 
stock. And there is another point which mnst also be 
kept st'adily in view: So far, Queensland has be»n 
exempt from the dreadpd Phylloxera vastatrix. As this 
disease has already attacked some of the vineyards in 
New South Wales, it may almost be looked upon as a 
certainty that at no distant day this disease will visit 
Queensland ; therefore it behoves every viticultu'ist to 
commence without delay raising resistant stock on 
which to graft the weaker kind?, which would be more 
liable to attack bv this enemy to vignerons. 
Bassett's Vineyard— Mr. Bassett's vineyard is 
situated about 1 mile from the town of Roma The 
soil is of a loose, sanely nature, evidently well adapted 
to the growth of the grape vine, The area under crop 
is >b ut 60 acres- Mr. Bassett states that, like manv 
others when first entering upon this industry, he was 
possessed of very little knowledge of grape vines, or 
the proper method of lavinar out a vineyard, consequent- 
ly, after pontine the first po> tion, he found that be 
had placed the vines too close together, and the rows 
also too near to each other— viz., 5 ftet between and 4 
feet in the rows. 
In the second portion rf the vineyard p'anted he im- 
proved his system of planting by placing the vines 
wider apart— viz., 6 feet in and 5 feet between the rows. 
More experience was gained by his second planting 
the result being that in the last portion planted he 
adopted what be considers to be the proper space in the 
Roma district— viz., 10 feet between and 6 feet in the 
rows. 
In preparing the soil for the vines, the land w=>s 
ploughed in the usual manner to a depth of 6 or 7 
inches. This shallow ploughing mav be sufficient, for 
the loose sandy soil around Roma, hut I am of opinion 
that even in that class of soil consi,l fir ah]e advHnt,a"e 
would be gained by a subsoil plough following the first 
plough, thus bringing the soil under the mellowing 
influence of the atmosphere, and which would un- 
doubtedly prove bene ficial to the grape vines, especially 
young vines. 
Mr. Bassett ha* adop'ed the state Hvs'em in his 
vineyard, and having snch a large ar. a of ground to 
work, he is probably right in adopting this system 
Although the trellis syst-m has manv advocates 
tillage is greatly facilitated with the stake system, by 
allowing the use of horses in keeping the ground clean 
and in stirring up the soil both along and across the 
rows. The hoe can then be used in cleaning up near 
the roots of the vine. 
I learnt from inquiry that, except in close, muggy, 
wet weather, the vines in this district aro seldom 
attacked I y oidium, and when attacked the fungi gives 
way readily to an appl : cation of sulphur mixed with 
fine ashes. This freedom from dis< asp i», no donb f . *o 
be attributed to the absence of the hunii'Mty which 
induces the disease in the. coast di-t'icts. Bbick spot 
occasionally appears on the vines, but not to such an 
extent as to «'o anv serious damage to the fruit 
Leach's Vineyahd — On my journey back to Roma 
I vi-ited the vineyard of Mr. Leach, which is situated 
on a ridge, with a fall to the east, west, and north. 
The soil is a strong, reddish loam of a calcareous 
nature, and in my opinion, strengthened bv the appear- 
ance of the vines, this is the best class of soil in the 
district for the grape vine. The land was broken up 
with a bul'ock plough 17 inches depp, harrowed, and 
then cross- ploughed to the depth of nearly 2 feet. The 
effect of this treatment tells its own tale, as in no part 
of the Roma district did I sep such healthy vines, and 
showing such a large crop of fruit. Altogether there 
are 2f> acres under vines, onp-half being vine grapes 
and the other half table fruit. 
REGULATING THE SALE OF TEA. 
In compliance with the reqnest of the Indian Tea 
Districts' Associat'on, the selling brokers interested 
held a meeting on .ianuarv 3rd. 1890, at the officps of 
Messrs. Stenning, Inskipp & Co., and it was resolved : 
"That thev will endeavour to regulate the sales, so 
that for the month of January not more than 35 000 
chpsts shall b« printed each week, and not more th»n 
15,000 ches f sin one day. And af'er that date for 'his 
season a much less quantity will have to h° printed ppr 
week as tho quintii-v nn old to fee dealt with will be 
smaller."— E. and C. Mail, Jan. 17th. 

HOW COTTON PAYS IN AMERICA. 
Mr. Belsard, of Bavou Rapides, hp to last, wppk had 
gathered 28 hales of coHen from 24 acres, (the bales 
averaging each 502J lb.) and still had in tbe fi"ld, as 
estimated by Mr. Kinca'd, 5 more hales, making 35 
bales, or 16,500 lb. of lint cotton to 24 acres.— Town 
Talk. 
Mr. John Semple, of Picavuneville. takes the cake 
this vear as the boss cotton farmer. He bought in the 
srrng of the year, cotton seed, the Sou'hern Hope, 
of Mr. E. J. McG"hee, of West Felicisna, and planted 
s ; x acres, from whirh he has already gathered five 
bales of cotton, two of which weighed 512 lb. and 
another 415 lb. whioh were sold tor thirteen cents per 
lb. The other two weighed respeetive'v 540 and 425 
aod sold for fourteen cents per lb. The cotton was 
sold by Messrs Harris, Day fc Co , of New Orleans. 
In addition to his cotton. Mr. Semple has sold 13 
sacks of seed, atthrpe dollars per sack, and has some 
ten sacks yet to be disposed of. — Point Coupee Banner. 
4. 
THE VALUE OF LAND IN THE TRANSVAAL. 
The enormous increase in the value of land in 
the Transvaal Republic is shown by the following 
fact communicated through the " Volksstem " 
(Vox Populi):— Two years ago a building lot in 
Johnnesburg was bought for less than £30. This 
same building lot now formine part of the site of the 
vast structure of Maleomes & Co. in Commissioner 
Stieet has just hern ■ eso'd for over £30 000 Amongst 
the most import >nt buildings in Johannesburg being 
certainly the Pahiee Buildings. These lately com- 
pleted structures aie esteemed the finest in the 
town. They are intended for merchants' offices, 
stores, and shops ; whilst the third stories are to be 
fitted up as sleeping arpnrtments. At the corner 
of Pn'tchard St. and Rissik St. is formed a loftv 
clock tower, (he flagstaff at the top is 93 feet in 
height above the grounlfloor. The clock has four 
faces, and will be visible from all parts of Johan- 
nesburg.— Indische Mercuw, translated by J, D. Y. 
for the Observer, 
