530 Transactions. — Miscellancoiis. 



the violent winds, most especially the cold south-west, to pre- 

 vent the danger of frost in spring-time, or the injury of the 

 young shoots and the grapes when they are already formed ; 

 (2) an aspect towards the sun, that the vines may receive in 

 full the rays of the sun during all the day, if possible, or at 

 least in the morning and at noon. It is by means of artificial 

 shelter — for instance, a w'all — that in countries unfit for large 

 vineyards it is possible to have good grapes and even wine, if 

 not in quantity, at least of a pretty good quality. 



Now, by apx3lying these conditions to Hawke's Bay, we 

 may easily draw the conclusion that large tracts of it are 

 eminently favourable to vine-growing. (1.) We have the 

 proper soil in the greatest part of the Ahuriri plains, com- 

 posed of sand or gravel, and which can be well drained; in 

 the hills which surround them, and which are chalk-marls and 

 limestones, or calcareous sands — and almost all the hills of the 

 province are of the same formation. (2.) Our climate is warm 

 enough, and even more than enough, in summer months to 

 bring to proper maturity the plants and the grapes. The 

 coldness of the nights may perhaps delay the development of 

 the saccharine substance in the grapes, but it is easy to 

 correct that defect by the means used in Australia. (3.) It 

 would be the business of the vinegrowers to choose for the 

 vineyards places well exposed to the sun, and protected from 

 the dangerous winds and dampness. Many are those places, 

 like the hills and valleys near Taradale, all over the province. 



A fact will prove better than any argument the possi- 

 bility of cultivating grapes and making good w4ne in Hawke's 

 Bay. About twenty years ago, vines were planted in the 

 garden of the Catholic Mission at Meanee for the purpose of 

 making wine only for the service of the altar. The attempt 

 was successful, and the small vineyard was increased to the 

 extent of a little more than half an acre. The plants were of 

 the best quality : Black Hamburg, White and Eed Sweet- 

 water, Chasselas, and Alexandria Tardif. They have pro- 

 duced every year a larger crop of grapes, which make wine of 

 excellent quality. " When leaving New Zealand, Comte 

 d'Abbans, the French Vice-Consul at Wellington, took with 

 him some twenty bottles of 1885 to 1888 wine of different 

 qualities, made at Meanee, and had it exhibited in his court at 

 the Paris Exhibition. • Unfortunately, owing to some omission 

 of formality, the wine was not tasted by the jury : but the 

 Comte subsequently obtained the opinion of some of the best 

 wine merchants in Paris, who have unanimously pronounced 

 it unmistakably superior to anything produced in Australia. 

 They say that some of the wines are equal to the celebrated 

 Cyprus brands, the red wines being very similar to the Hun- 

 garian or Tokay. One quality of w^ine tested was almost as 



