Sept. 2, 1908.] Agriculttiral Gazette of N.S.W. 755 



Export of Grapes to England 



The Department <>f Agriculture received advice from the Agent-General's 

 Ortice, London, regarding the excellent prices recently ol)taiiied for a shipment 

 of gi'apes from Western Austi-alia. The flavour of these grapes was pro- 

 nounced by experts to be etjUHl to that of the best English hot-house varieties. 

 The variety which carried l)est was the Black Malaga. The white grapes, 

 however, did not stand the journey so well, because they were packed when 

 they were too forwaid. 'I'he temperature in tlie cool chamber of the vessel, 

 about 40" Fahr., had been judged to a nicety, but the bundles were nearly 

 all packed in coik dust, and the trouble was that when they were lifted out, 

 the cork-dust i)acking adhered to the fruit and could be removed only with 

 difficulty. 



Mr. B. Emanuel, of Covent Garden, who Ijought the whole consignment, 

 says : — "If each bunch had l)een wrapped in paper as the Cape grapes are, 

 they would have landed in perfect condition. The Australian fruit is much 

 sujierior to and of a better class than the Cape variety, and if the packing is 

 well looked after at the other end there is a big future f<tr Ansti-alian grapes 

 in this country."' 



The grapes commanded a ivady sale, and made from (Ss. to 14s. a case, 

 averaging from 12 lb. to 18 lb. 



In connection with the above, Mr. Bluinio. Viticultural Expert to the 

 Department, reports as follows : — 



Tlie variety nifiitioneJ as canying best, namely Black Malaga, is knuwn here by tliis 

 name. We have this variety at the Viticultural Station, Howhxig. It is not grown by 

 ])rivate table-grape growers, because so far they have been satisfied with the local market. 

 Table-grape vineyards are all more or less smal', proprietors have not large means and 

 cannot aiTord to take risks. The varieties grown are very few, viz. : Black Hamburg, 

 Bl.ick Muscat Haml)iug, White Sherry, and Muscat of Alexandria. These form the 

 bulk. Towards the end of the grape season the Doradillo is marketed. A few years ago 

 the Department of Agriculture imported several varieties of Chasselas ; they are excellent 

 table grapes for sweetness and tiavour, they are the earliest grapes to i-ipen anywhere, l)ut 

 in New South Wales have not met with much favour, because the bunches and berries 

 are not showy. However, of late, some vinegrowers who obtained vines from Howlong 

 have devoted more attention to them, and for the last three grape seasons I have seen 

 Chasselas in the shop windows l)efore any other grape. 



Besides the Malaga we also grow the Daria (Syn. Almeria) which is a shipping grape. 

 There are other varieties of grapes in the collection such as Alicante, Trentham Black, 

 Gros Guillaume, Syrian, Raisin des Dames, and Pearson's Golden Queen. The latter in 

 normal seasons have a fairly elastic skin, and might carry over long distances, but 

 we liave made no experimeiits in tliis direction. Certainly they are not considered 

 shi])ping grapes. Of the abo\enamed varieties wc have only a few vines of eacli, 

 l)ecause they were planted for collection purpose. 



Most of the varieties enmnerated are rather late varieties, and at Hi)\\ lung they ripen 

 towards the end of Marcli. In the county of Cumberland and in the Hunter River 

 Valley, they would be about three to four weeks earlier. 



Tire principal shipping table-grapes from Cape Colony are the Red and the Wiiite 

 Hannepoort. We obtained a few cuttings of these last year and planted tlu-m at 

 Howlons. 



