1 Dec., 1901.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 555 
Viticulture. 
AN EXPERIMENT IN AUTUMN GRAFTING. 
By E. H. RAINFORD, Viticulturist. 
As most fruitgrowers are aware, many varieties of deciduous fruit trees 
can be budded in the autumn, with the result that, although union takes place, 
the bud remains dormant through the winter, breaking in the spring with other 
buds. If a similar system of grafting could be successfully established for 
vines, it would be a boon to vignerons, as spring grafting generally comes on 
at a time when many other matters claim- their attention, and, besides, those 
buds that take delay starting so long that the powerful rays of a November sun 
frequently wither the young, tender shoots, which are also a prey to many 
voracious insects. Moreover, if the spring graft fails, a year is lost, whereas if 
the autumn graft failed it would be possible to regraft in the following spring, 
and the season be saved. 
With the view then of testing the possibility of autumn grafting in 
Queensland, the writer made the following preliminary experiment :— 
On 8rd April, seven vines were grafted at the Westbrook Experimental Farm 
in the usual cleft-graft manner. Four were Black Hermitage scions on Mataro 
stocks, these being odd vines in a row of Black Hermitage, and three were 
Morocco Prince scions on Mauzac (White Solferino) stocks. 
A week later, four Isabella stocks were grafted in the same manner with 
Calabrese and Raisin de Dames scions. The vines, although on full leaf, were 
in a quiescent state, as there was no flow of sap from the stocks when they were 
decapitated. The grafts were examined at intervals through the winter, but only 
in one or two cases was there any apparent beginning of a union, and the experi- 
ment was looked upon as a failure, and no further care taken of the grafts. To the 
writer’s astonishment, when passing through the vines to summer prune, he found 
some of the grafts had made vigorous shoots as forward as any in the vineyard. 
An investigation of all the grafted vines showed the following results :—Of the 
four Black Hermitage grafts, one had made a perfect union, and was growing 
vigorously ; two had been trodden on by men engaged in trellising operations ; 
and the fourth, although trodden out of position, had made a union, and was 
starting fairly well. Of the three Morocco Prince grafts, one had made a 
splendid union, and was growing vigorously; the second had made a poor 
union, and was very weak; the third had failed. It must be mentioned that 
the Mauzac stocks were very hard cases, and in no instance was a good, straight 
split obtainable. Of the four grafts on the Isabellas, two had made a good 
union, one had failed, and one was not to be found; the scions having been, 
apparently, trodden out. Out of eleven grafts then, six had taken, three had. 
been accidentally injured, and two had failed. Even had only the six taken, it 
proves that autumn grafting is a possibility, and, with further experience, there 
should be as good a percentage of takes as in ordinary spring grafting. It 
certainly opens up a field for vignerons with a taste for experimental work, 
and the results obtained would be gladly received by the writer, who intends to 
follow up the experiment on a larger scale next autumn, if all goes well. It is 
evident that the vines must be fairly dormant when grafted, otherwise the 
scions would start an autumn growth, which would be nipped and possibly 
killed by the winter frosts or cold winds. 
