i264. QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ocr., 1902. 
this is not to be pinched back. When the vine resembles Fig. 14, a little 
disbudding of the small fruit rod at the end of the vine may be required if it 
has been left too long; otherwise the same procedure is adopted as already 
described. 
Thomery Espalier.—In this system, the same rules as regards summer 
uning should be observed as in the preceding system, until Fig. 9 
is reached. Instead of removing all the shoots between A and _ the 
ground as for the Royat, one is left to grow from the upper 
‘side of the stock at a point from 4 to 6 inches below the bottom 
wire, as in B, Fig. 10. Only one shoot should be allowed, and that must be 
carefully looked after and tied up, as it will serve to make the second arm of 
the vine the following winter, as in Fig. 16. Pinching the shoots on the arm 
already laid down will assist its growth and development. The same rules are 
‘to be observed for vines as in Figs. 16, 17, and subsequently as have been given 
for the Royat system. 
Guyot and Bordelaise Espalier—The most important point to be recom- 
mended to vignerons in these two systems is protection to the shoots from the 
return spurs, as damage to these means a faulty vine next year. They should 
be carefully tied up as soon as they are long enough to prevent breakage from 
wind and other causes, especially in vines that have a tendency to a straggling 
growth like the Black Hermitage and others 
The disbudding of the fruit branches will depend upon the richness of the 
soil, vigour of the vine, and the number of eyes on the fruit branches. All 
shoots without flower clusters should be removed, and, if there are enough eyes 
on the upper side of the canes to absorb all the sap, remove the shoots from the 
lower side; here, however, the individual judgment will have to be exercised. 
‘Severe pinching of the last shoots on the fruit branches must be practised to 
keep down their growth and give the others a fair start as described above. It 
is well to leave one or two water shoots on the stock at the level of the return 
spurs to utilise as spurs, should the necessity occur; if not wanted in the 
winter, they will be pruned off. Everything else must be removed from time to 
time, so as to concentrate the sap into the fruit branches. 
In the Cazenave and Mixed Royat systems the rules for disbudding, 
'‘&c., are the same as for the Royat or Unilateral cordon until the vines 
‘are fully shaped, as in Figs. 26 and 27; the disbudding of the fruit 
branches should then follow the rules Jaid down for the single and double 
Guyot systems. 
After a few years, the spurs on all systems of short-pruned vines 
become elongated, twisted, and knotty; hence difficult circulation of sa 
in them, abundance of water shoots, and decrease of crop. To avoid this 
defect, all spurs should be renewed from time to time, and to do this 
advantage should be taken of the small water shoots that frequently make their 
appearance at their base. These should, when required, be carefully preserved 
and utilised next pruning season, but the average vigneron never takes 
advantage of them, but ruthlessly sweeps everything away except what is 
bearing fruit. The writer has frequently seen spurs on a vine like the horns 
of an eland, and the vigneron proudly cleaning off the least vestige of a shoot 
anywhere but at the apex of the antlers, instead of taking advantage of the 
precious water shoots, which, if preserved, would be the means of doubling his 
crop. Bush-pruned vines, if on rich soil, will require careful thinning out of 
shoots and leaves around the flower clusters when in flower; otherwise the 
fruit will not set, and straggling empty bunches result. This is because want 
of air and light prevents proper fecundation of the fruit. On topping, the writer 
has more than once given his views, and he cannot too strongly condemn 
the irrational system of shortening the shoots to just above the bunches. 
Two consecutive seasons, experiments were made on this point at the West- 
brook Farm with exactly the same result—viz., the grapes from short-topped 
vines were 2 per cent. less in sugar, 2 per mille more in acid, and far less 
richly coloured than were the grapes from moderately-topped vines. Q.E.D. 
Do not top until the canes interfere with cultivation operations. 
