136 



Journal of Agri culture. 



[10 March, 1910. 



Surrounding these buildings are 

 cultivation paddocks of oats, wheat, 

 peas, &c., occupying ground that was 

 formerly taken up by the 350-acre 

 vineyard which supplied the wine 

 cellars. This vineyard was first 

 planted by Messrs. Castella and 

 Rowan. About ten years ago the St. 

 Hubert's property was purchased 

 from these owners by Mr. D. 

 Mitchell, of Cave Hill, who in turn 

 sold it some five years later to Mr. J. 

 Timms. Part of this latter sale 

 agreement provided for Mr. Mitchell 

 retaining the vineyard and cellars for 

 a further term ; and this time having 

 elapsed during the past year, Mr. 

 Mitchell had the wine on hand re- 

 moved to Melbourne. Mr. Timms 

 then had the vines uprooted, and the 

 land ploughed for cropping. Though 

 artificial manures were applied at 

 sowing, only light crops resulted, the 

 wheat making the best yield. Ap- 

 parentlv the continual cultivation of 

 the vines over a long period has 

 greatly reduced the humus content of 

 thi.s soil, for it has now a very 

 hungrv appearance, which contrasts 

 most unfavourablv with the fertile 

 looking heavily grassed paddocks of 

 similar land adjoining, but which 

 have had the advantage of being kept 

 in good heart by judicious stock grac- 

 ing for manv years past. The 

 natural grazing quality of nmrh of 

 this property was improved during 

 Mr. Mitchell's term of ownership; 

 for a large portion of it was then 

 ploughed and sown with English 

 grasses. 



For many years past Mr. Joseph 

 Timms, senior, has been, and still is, 

 personally engaged in carrying out 

 large railway contracts in the various 

 States. His first purchase of pro- 

 perty in this district was the Chateau 

 Yering estate of 1,000 acres, which 

 he bought some ten years ago from 

 Messrs. C. and E. Miller; and for a 

 time he made that his residence. Five 

 years later, he bought the adjoin- 

 ing St. Hubert's estate, and some 



