182 Jmirudl of Agriculture, Victoria. [10 March, 1917. 



Since the publication of the above, Metallica Cape has declined a 

 good deal in public favour, especially in north-easteru Victoria. Never- 

 theless, our Victorian experience of this stock has been much less un- 

 satisfactory than the above quotation would lead one to expect. Most 

 of the vines grafted on it in Rutherglen vineyards have given satisfactory 

 results for a good many years, only in a few cases on stiff soils liable to 

 become hard and dry in summer can any inferiority be noted as com- 

 pared with the other stocks in general use. 



In the experimental plots at the Rutlierglen Viticultural Station vines 

 grafted on this stock have always yielded well ; in some seasons even 

 better tlian some of the standard stocks.* 



At Mildura, more particularly, is this stock held in high repute by 

 those who have had most experience with resistant stocks ; the high opinion 

 formed of it by -those who employed it on irrigated land, is, in fact, 

 directly responsible for the present note. Desiring to have more recent 

 information concerning this stock, inquiries were made concerning its 

 behaviour in South Africa, the country where it was first raised, and 

 has been most extensively planted. 



The following extract from a reply recently received from Mr. T. G. 

 Watermeyer, Manager of the Government Farm, Constantia, Wynberg, 

 South Africa, will, no doubt, prove of interest to Victorian vine-growers. 



Rupestris Metallica: Opinions upon tlio resistance of this stock appear to be 

 divided. I shall express no opinion but c;ive you all the facts I have about it. 

 It originated on this estate. Several kinds of American resistant stock seeds 

 were got out by the Department from France. After sowing selection fell on 

 >Ietallica by the then Manager of this place, Mr. de Waal. After further pro- 

 pagation, vineyards were laid out on this estate on different situations, which 

 comprised hill sides of red loams, also gravelly, clayey soils, low-lying, sandy 

 loams, and pure loams. . 



The scions grafted on Metallicaj were Muscadels.t Cabernet, Hermitage, 

 Riesling, Pedro Ximenes, and many other kinds, and on these different sites the 

 vines have been growing now for sixteen years, and are still doing well, though 

 it is necessary in the drier sites to fertilize every three years. In tlie alluvial 

 soils we have in nine years given only two dressings of stable manure. On the 

 whole in this district where there is an average rainfall of 40 to (lO inches, 

 Metallica does well, and it does well mostly in deep, fairly moist, alluvial soils 

 everywhere in the country. 



Up country, in dry situations, it is being abandoned and being replaced by 

 Aramon Rupestris 1 and 2. (A.R.6. 1 and A.R.O. 2.) Many viticvilturists are 

 so exceedingly careless when reconstituting, only ploughing to the depth of 

 about 8 inches. In such cases failures arc biivuid to result, and conser|uent con- 

 demnation of the stock, and it is sometinii's diliicult to know to what causes to 

 attribute failure. 



I notice that in this area many growers overtax the vine by allowing too 

 many bearers on their bushed vines. I have counted as many as eight, which is 

 just double what was allowed the European on its own roots. 



The yields got from Metallica in some vineyards amount to as much as 889 

 gallons per aero, 5 feet by .5 feet, planting, but tliis is over taxation. Metallica 

 seems to have most accommodating affinity, and carries most, in fact, all the 

 different kinds of European varieties. With proper treatment and frequent 

 manuring on this farm Metallica does well. It fails where it is badly treated 

 and over taxed. It is, however, quite certain that it is not so good as a resisting 

 stock as Aramon ( A.R.G. 1 ) . 



• See Journals for May, 1909, 1910, liUl, and June, 1912. 



t .Muscadcl is the name given to our Brown Muscat in South Africa. 



