1 Ocr., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. ¢ 385 
This has been especially noticeable at the Redland Bay Experiment Orchard, 
Where the humus or vegetable matter containing the nitrogen in the soil has 
been largely depleted by continuous cropping and heavy rains, which have 
Washed it out of the soil. The application of nitrogenous manures to this 
particular soil has had a very marked effects on all crops, especially on pines, fruit 
‘ trees, oats, corn, sorghum, and vegetables. The want of nitrogen in a soil is 
easily detected, as nothing seems. to thrive when it is absent—all grain crops 
have a sickly yellowish or purplish colour; corn and sorghum produce very 
little fodder; vegetables do badly, and fruit trees of all kinds haye a more or 
legs unhealthy and starved appearance, the foliage is usually yellowish or light- 
coloured, and the erowth of young wood poor. The importance of providing aN 
cheap supply of nitrogen is thus clearly shown, and from the results obtained so 
far ati Redland Bay I feel confident that the growing of various pulses and. 
Ploughing same in will be found to be the cheapest and most efficacious way of 
tinging soils such as those described back into a state of the highest fertility, 
and capable of producing paying crops of fruit, vegetables, or farm produce. 
Viticulture, 
SUMMER PRUNING. 
By E, H. RAINFORD, 
Viticultural Expert. 
Very shortly that part of the cultivation of the vine known as summer pruning 
will be required in the vineyard, and a few hints on the subject may be acceptable 
to some of our viticulturists. Summer pruning may be divided into three 
separate and distinct operations, which will be dealt with seriatim. 
1. Disbudding.—The operation known as disbudding is very necessary to 
the welfare of the vine, as it consists in relieving it of all the vegetation which 
carries no fruit, with a few exceptions; but it is in the choice of these exceptions — 
that the judgment must be exercised. All vines, some more than others, put 
out every spring a number of suckers and water shoots that carry no fruit, and 
if not removed diminish the vigour of the vine and affect its fertility next 
‘season. Moreover, these shoots, if not summer pruned, will have to be winter 
pruned, and the latter operation leaves a scar far more difficult to heal than. 
the former. All suckers and water shoots from the stock should be removed unless 
it is required to reform the stock, in which case the shoot best placed is left for 
that purpose, and the others removed. In cases where a vine has been badly 
pruned and allowed to straggle too far, with consequent weak growth from the 
spurs, it is often advisable to leaye a strong well-placed water shoot from the 
stock, cutting the cane back next winter, and subsequently reforming the vine 
-onit. Occasionally a vine, both bush and trellis pruned, will produce each 
spring a large number of water shoots, but, with a weak vegetation from the 
spurs. This shows thatthe sap circulates with difficulty at the spurs, probably 
from bad pruning and dead wood. When this occurs, choose the best placed 
water shoot to reform the yine next season, as mentioned above, removing all 
others from stock. ne 
Tt often happens that a bud will start at the base of a spur that has already 
become elongated and knotty ; if so, be careful to preserve that shoot, as it will 
be useful next pruning for reforming the spur. As new wood is always more 
droductiye than old, any shoot that can be utilised for that purpose should be 
