The fact that this elaboration of the sap in long-pruned
vines requires a long distance to intervene between the
roots and the fruit itself, is one of considerable importance.
It is necessary to remember, however, that cultivation of
this kind requires additional labour. Moreover, one of the
principal reasons why the short-pruned vine has become
such a favourite in Australia is that it is a labour-saving
vine, and therefore its adoption is almost a necessity. But,
as Mr. Sutherland remarks, " there is no doubt that Aus-
*' tralia can never hope to produce in any quantity the finest
" qualities of wine until the vignerons attend more to those
" practices which depend essentially upon the fundamental
" fact that the sap flows with differwit habits through
" different varieties of vines ; and, therefore, that some
*' vines require short pruning, while it is even more im-
" portant to remember that others will only yield satis -
" factorily under a system of long pruning."
In a paper on viticulture, at Mildura, which was drawn
up for the Eoyal Commission on Vegetable Products in
1890, Mr. Fran5ois de Castella, a former Expert to the
Board of Viticulture, Victoria, has condensed so much
knowledge within a small compass that I have quoted the
following : —
" Most of the settlers I met told me that they intended to prune their
vines short. Now, in my opinion, they could not make a greater mis-
take— for wine-growing, at least ; as for raisin-growing, I have never
taken any interest in the subject, and, having no experience, do not
wish to express an opinion on it. I must say that all the settlers I had
occasion to speak to were raisin-growers, but I should warn any future
wine-grower at Mildura, who may chance to read these few notes, to
beware of short pruning.
AUSTRALIAN WINE. 203
" Most of our vineyard labourers come from the cold parts of Europe,
such as Switzerland, where grapes ripen with difficulty under ordinary
circumstances, and where the vine does not take any considerable
development. There, short pruning has to be resorted to in order to
make a drinkable wine. When these men arrive in Australia they
bring all their old habits and prejudices with them, and tell the inex-
perienced vineyard proprietor that long pruning weakens the vine.
The proprietor, thinking that they know more about the subject than
he does, allows them to do as they like, and they set to work to cut the
vine down to such an extent that, unable to take advantage of the
genial climate to which it has been transplanted, it gives only one-
eighth or one-tenth of the quantity of grapes it could be made to
bear with intelligent pruning, besides being much weakened ; whereas
long-pruning strengthens a vine if the climate be favourable to its
development.
"Another disadvantage of short pruning in warm climates is the
well-known fact that the less grapes you have on the vine, the more
glucose the must will contain ; therefore, instead of making much more
per acre of a drinkable wine, which they easily could do, they content
themselves with a much smaller quantity per acre of a wine which fer-
ments so badly that alcohol has to be added to prevent the production
of lactic acid, resulting from the excessive, temperature reached during
fermentation favouring the development of this particular germ.
Page 137
Presented as published in 1893. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
The fact that this elaboration of the sap in long-pruned vines requires a long distance to intervene between the roots and the fruit itself, is one of considerable importance. It is necessary to remember, however, that cultivation of this kind requires additional labour. Moreover, one of the principal reasons why the short-pruned vine has become such a favourite in Australia is that it is a labour-saving vine, and therefore its adoption is almost a necessity. But, as Mr. Sutherland remarks, " there is no doubt that Aus- *' tralia can never hope to produce in any quantity the finest " qualities of wine until the vignerons attend more to those " practices which depend essentially upon the fundamental " fact that the sap flows with different habits through " different varieties of vines ; and, therefore, that some *' vines require short pruning, while it is even more im- " portant to remember that others will only yield satis - " factorily under a system of long pruning."
In a paper on viticulture, at Mildura, which was drawn up for the Eoyal Commission on Vegetable Products in 1890, Mr. François de Castella, a former Expert to the Board of Viticulture, Victoria, has condensed so much knowledge within a small compass that I have quoted the following : —
" Most of the settlers I met told me that they intended to prune their vines short. Now, in my opinion, they could not make a greater mistake— for wine-growing, at least ; as for raisin-growing, I have never taken any interest in the subject, and, having no experience, do not wish to express an opinion on it. I must say that all the settlers I had occasion to speak to were raisin-growers, but I should warn any future wine-grower at Mildura, who may chance to read these few notes, to beware of short pruning.
" Most of our vineyard labourers come from the cold parts of Europe, such as Switzerland, where grapes ripen with difficulty under ordinary circumstances, and where the vine does not take any considerable development. There, short pruning has to be resorted to in order to make a drinkable wine. When these men arrive in Australia they bring all their old habits and prejudices with them, and tell the inexperienced vineyard proprietor that long pruning weakens the vine. The proprietor, thinking that they know more about the subject than he does, allows them to do as they like, and they set to work to cut the vine down to such an extent that, unable to take advantage of the genial climate to which it has been transplanted, it gives only oneeighth or one-tenth of the quantity of grapes it could be made to bear with intelligent pruning, besides being much weakened ; whereas long-pruning strengthens a vine if the climate be favourable to its development.
"Another disadvantage of short pruning in warm climates is the well-known fact that the less grapes you have on the vine, the more glucose the must will contain ; therefore, instead of making much more per acre of a drinkable wine, which they easily could do, they content themselves with a much smaller quantity per acre of a wine which ferments so badly that alcohol has to be added to prevent the production of lactic acid, resulting from the excessive, temperature reached during fermentation favouring the development of this particular germ.