Page:Australian enquiry book of household and general information.djvu/242

 own pet theory about pruning and how it should be done; the only matter all agree about being the time when it should be done, and which greatly depends upon the season. Generally one is pretty safe to prune in the middle or end of August, or the first week in September, but a sharp look-out must be kept to find out exactly when. Dame Nature is taking a nap preparatory to renewed wakefulness in every joint and section of her big body, just as the vine is thinking of those lovely new shoots she means to put forth, is the time to lop off the old, cut away surplus wood, and so prepare matters for the grand display. As I have just said every one has a pet theory about how to prune, how many eyes or buds to leave, how many main stems, &c., &c. And trivial as the matter may seem to those who know little it really is a very momentous question to those who are interested. In an old well established vine I would leave three buds on each stem, and if on a trellis, from three to four stems. If young vines, say in their first year of bearing, I would leave but two stems, and only one eye or bud on each, and I would nip off all fruit spurs but about three or four, thus paving the way to future supply from the vine. I believe in some places the growers prune one year for a heavy crop and the next for a light. I should think the better plan would be an even bearing each year, and not so trying to the vines. The variety of grape must depend upon your climate, and let me impress upon would-be growers that it does not pay to try new varieties with small experience. Let those who know a lot, experiment, and those who don't can benefit by and bye. The grape has many pests and diseases to trouble it. Oidium is one of the worst, and it must be treated directly it appears, or beforehand, to prevent its appearance at all. It is a species of fungus growth which spreads over both fruit and leaves, mostly in warm damp weather. In appearance it is a sort of mildew, a downy deposit on the leaves, somewhat like, but more defined than, the natural down the leaf has. On the fruit it looks like little specks of mildew. The custom of late years, or ever since this disease first appeared, has been to fumigate from the time the first buds burst on the vines, and with flowers of sulphur and fine lime dust. It is blown over the buds, leaves, etc., from a bellows made for the purpose very early in the morning before the dew is off, or in the evening before the dew begins to fall. This treatment should be repeated periodically, or whenever the vines show signs of the disease. In the winter, and while the vines are at rest, it is as well to paint them with a wash of lime and salt as a preventive against disease and insect life. The proportions of sulphur and for fumigating are, I think, about 20 lbs. of sulphur, 10 lbs. of lime, and about 35 lbs. of sifted wood ashes. This should do a good sized patch of vines. Bone dust, or even old bones buried