Viticulture.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 11

Viticulture.

ITS FtJTUKE' IN THE DOMINION. "I am' satisfied," 'says' Mr. E.' Bragato, Government Viticulturist,' in. his annual report, that'with the'pi-ices rnling last vear no outside "country' can' possibly land grapes iii .New Zealand:' to 'compete''"with' "the locally-grown erop rat tho 'price.: The shipments from South Australia: showed ' that even : when admitted JW-Pf, duty .they,,cannot be sold here at less than, 6d. per lb., and, in my opinion, it . M ill not,;be, long before there, will be plenty of grapes for the' people at half the price. To speak of importing grapes from Australia seems , to me: as absurd as to suggest importing butter and eggs because these commodities are 'deor.'V; 1 : "There are now'some 150 Dof our own settlers growing grapes, and a large/number newly embarking on the industry each year. Thanks to the,glasshouses, grapes are obtainable here all;,the •year , round, whereas in , Australia they-are .obtainable for only about three months in the year. "It _ is true that the industry hero-is not as. it should bo. Thanks to", the work of this division the growers arc now ablo to obtain the best varieties grafted on resistant stocks, while literature on modern methods is at-their disposal. Every year the area in t grapes is rapidly increasing,, and vineyards planted in accordance with.' instructions are now coming, ; into' bearing." . • In>tho course of. his report, Mr. Bratrath goes-,on to say, that. 200,000 grafted vines will IT and - he proposes-doing--150,1)00.'at the, Aratahi experimental farm and at_.Waerenga.. With vines in. full beanng v the yield of, wine, at. a low estimate rca'ches .400 or '500':gallons per acre. No grower to•; was 'receiving less than Gs' per gallon'in-the;' bulk, but even at 2s. Gd a gallon,-tho-gross return per acre would bo The appliances were not expensive/- There is,- the export states; a good future/for this industry, arid 'a suggestion is madey : for legislation to prevent: the salo of adulterated .and imitation-wines. '• , .