214. QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ava., 1901. 
writer, at the Westbrook Farm, has adopted the following system. Three sawn 
stakes, 5 feet by 13 by 13 inches, are driven round the vine in the shape of an 
isosceles triangle, and the top brought together ; a wire ring encircles the three 
stakes at about 2 feet from the ground. In this way breakage by wind is 
most impossible, and tying up reduced to a minimum. 5 
Prevention oF Disrasre.—lIf the cuttings or rooted vines were properly 
disinfected before planting, it is improbable that they will be, the first year, 
affected with fungus disease. ‘The following winter all the plants should, after 
pruning, be painted with a solution of 1 Ib. of commercial sulphuric acid to 
1 gallon of water The proper time to apply it is just before the buds start to 
swell, and it is utterly useless to apply it earlier in the season. Another solu- 
tion is 4: lb. of sulphate of iron, 3 lb. of sulphuric .acid, and ] gallon of water. 
Put on old clothes when using it, and paint the whole vine, especially the spurs. 
This dressing will in most cases be sufficient to keep off disease, but some vines 
being very susceptible, and more especially in damp localities or on the coast, 
subsequent treatments may be necessary. 
Vignerons must always bear in mind that an unhealthy vine is more easily 
attacked than a healthy one, and that stagnant moisture at the roots, improper 
pruning, poverty of soil, or improper cultivation are causes of sickness in vines, 
Prevention is better than cure. But some varieties, however well looked after, 
will suffer from fungoid attacks—z.e., oidium or powdery mildew and 
anthracnose or black spot ; and to prevent these, timely sulphuring and spraying 
are indicated. Sulphuring should, as a rule, form part of the cultivation 
scheme, and every season sulphur should be, dusted on the young shoots 
when about 4 inches in length, and again on the young grapes, after setting, 
when of the size of large shot. The young grapes should be well shaded 
at the time. Bellows are sold for the purpose, but a fine muslin bag or fine 
flour dredger acts just as well and are less cumbersome to handle. For 
anthracnose timely spraying is indicated, although some authorities reeommend 
dusting the vines with powdered sulphate of iron, lime, and sulphur. The three 
sprays used by the writer have been described in the Journals for July, 1898, p. 
62, and February, 1899, p. 124; there is not much to choose between them, and 
readers can take their choice. The great point, however, to be observed in these 
sprayings is their ¢imeliness ; nine times out of ten they are given too late— 
that is, when the spot is already showing. To a certain extent it prevents its 
spreading, but the damage to flower, fruit, or wood has already been 1one when 
the spot shows. Now, for the spores of these fungi to be able to germinate a 
certain degree of atmospheric humidity is necessary, for it will be noticed that 
during continued dry weather they seldom appear—that is, if the vines are in 
dry surroundings. The conditions most propitious for their germination are 
during muggy, fogey, damp weather, or after spring and summer rains, when the 
evaporation from the hot soil saturates the air with moisture, which is deposited 
as heavy dew at night. It is at this time that spraying should be applied with 
the effect of nipping in the bud the nascent fungus attacks. If vignerons 
would bear this advice in mind and hasten to spray their vines within twenty- 
four hours of wet or muggy weather, the attacks of anthracnose, and oidium 
also, on the most susceptible vines will be diminished. When grapes are full 
grown and ripening they are much more resistant, and precautions may be 
dispensed with. 
Wryrer Prouxixe anp Summer Pruntxa.—These two subjects are too | 
comprehensive to be included in this article, and, besides, they have already been 
dealt with in former numbers of the Journal, to which the reader is referred. 
There are various other details connected with viticulture, such as grafting, 
drainage, &e., &e., but these do not come within the scope of the present 
subject; they will be taken in hand in the near future. 
The various details of viticulture dealt with in this article have necessarily 
been touched upon somewhat briefly, but the writer trusts that even so the 
advice given may prove of some assistance to those who intend to give it a trial_ 
