a a i STS 
1 Jan., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 43 
2. That the American stock influences adversely the quality of the French 
grape by deteriorating it, and therefore deteriorating the quality of the wine 
made from it. That by the increased production the quality is lowered, and 
consequently the wine’s value is lowered. 
3. That by the use of bisulphide of carbon from the first the vines’ are 
maintained in their pristine vigour and qualities, and that the soil is benefited 
by its use. 
4. That the use of copper solutions for combating fungus diseases is 
ineffective, and deteriorates the quality of the wine made from the grapes so 
treated. 
5. That, by the use of ammoniurettes of copper, for the preparation of which 
M. Bellott de Minierés has invented an apparatus, those diseases may be 
effectively treated without detriment to the quality of the wine. 
I will comment upon each point separately— 
1. Experience has proved that when vinifera varieties have been grafted 
on American stocks of sufficient resistant powers adapted to the physical 
conditions of the soil they have been planted in, and having a reasonable 
affinity to the scion, there has been no deterioration of phylloxera-resistant 
ower. There are at the present day in France numerous Rupestris and 
ees vines grafted with French vines twenty-five years ago, that are as 
healthy and flourishing as when first planted. Many mistakes were made 
formerly in selecting stocks of insufficient resistant powers, such as the Taylor, 
Vialla, Solonis, Othello, Jacquez, &c.; likewise in planting the higher resistant 
stocks in soils totally unfitted to their nature, with consequent weakening of the 
systems and liability to succumb to disease attacks. With the experience 
acquired by these failures, we now know which are the true resistant stocks to 
choose for planting in a given soil and which vinifera shows most affinity for 
individual varieties, so that failures in the future as regards the healthiness of 
the grafted stocks should be rare. 
2. About a year ago the cry was raised in France (possibly by M. Bellott 
de Minierés) that the system adopted by French vignerons of grafting resistant 
stocks to combat the phylloxera disease was causing a deterioration of the wine, 
that vineyards which formerly produced wines of the first growth had fallen to 
second and third rate places. The Figaro, a leading French journal, sent a 
representative to Bordeaux to make inquiries on the subject, and a series of 
articles from the pen of this reporter was published in the Figaro, proving that 
the fears entertained were unfounded, and that Bordeaux merchants were 
enerally agreed that, beyond what resulted from adverse seasons, no marked. 
Shruti of the quality of the best growths was to be observed. Deterio- 
ration of quality consequent upon increase of quantity has taken place where, 
in the reconstruction of the dead vineyards, vignerons, in their greed for 
quantity, had sacrificed quality by grafting the resistant stocks with enormous 
croppers, and these are now paying for their want of foresight in unsaleable stocks 
el low prices. Moreover, M. Bellott de Minierés is inconsistent on this point; 
for, if grafting French vines on American stocks so weakens the vine’s resistant 
powers to phylloxera attacks that it has to be kept alive with bisulphide appli- 
cations, how could its production increase to the alarming extent fe bewails P 
Granting, however, that the use of resistant stocks has had the effect of depre- 
ciating the quality of the wine, how is that to be avoided ? 
3. By use of bisulphide of carbon, says M. Bellott de Minierés, instead of 
resistant stocks. I may say at once that the system is utterly inapplicable for 
Australia.’ To keep a vineyard free from phylloxera by the use of bisulphide 
would cost £8 per acre per annum; there is no vineyard of wine grapes in 
Australia that would bear such an expense as that. With the best wine that 
Australia can produce, selling at from 20s. to 24s. a dozen, such a yearly charge 
could not be met. In France, where the grands crus fetch very high prices 
and are very eagerly competed for, such an expense could be borne if the 
