WINE CULTURE IN N. S. WALES. 923 
viticulture during the ’twenties. Sir Daniel Cooper stated before 
the Society of Arts, London |1873], that he recollected grapes 
being sold in Sydney in 1826. Prior to 1830, Mr. Sadleir pro- 
duced good wine at the Orphan School vineyard on the Nepean. 
Mr. Gregory Blaxland cultivated in his original vineyard at Brush 
Farm the small black cluster Burgundy Pineau and Miller’s 
Burgundy. This was in 1817. He visited London in 1822, 
taking with him some wine of his own making, for which he was 
awarded the silver medal of the Society of Arts. Again he visited 
London in 1828, submitting further samples of his own wine, for 
which he received the Ceres gold medal of the Society of Arts. 
Contemporary with the Macarthurs as a pioneer of the wine in- 
dustry was Mr. James Busby. In 1822 he visited the wine 
districts of Europe. Again in 1831 he left Sydney, on a more 
extended tour. Prior to embarking, he distributed 20,000 wine 
cuttings amongst upwards of fifty settlers, and thereby widely 
extended wine culture. He took with him 10 gallons of Orphan 
School wine, vintage 1829, which he bottled in London and dis- 
tributed among persons interested in the colony. It was at the 
instance of the Macarthurs that this trip was taken, under 
instructions to ascertain to what peculiarities of climate, 
soil, or culture the most celebrated wine provinces of Europe 
are indebted for the excellence of their respective products, 
and to make a collection of the varieties of vines cultivated 
in each. The narrative of his travels was published in Sydney in 
1833 and a third edition in London in 1840, under the title of 
a “Journal of a Tour through some of the Vineyards of Spain 
and France.” It forms interesting reading to-day, and throws an 
instructive light upon the European wine methods of sixty-six 
years ago. Mr. Busby secured cuttings from all the celebrated 
vineyards, forming his own collection. When at Montpelier he 
was fortunate in meeting Professor De Lisle, chief cf the famous 
botanic gardens of that town, and Mr. Busby was allowed to 
himself take cuttings of 437 named varieties of grape wines, and 
what were wanting to make the collection complete were made 
up from the Royal Nursery of the Luxemburg. He moreover 
obtained permission from Lord Goderich, Secretary for the Colo- 
nies, that this extensive collection should be planted on vacant 
ground adjoining the Sydney Botanic Gardens. It arrived by 
the “ Lady Harewood” on 12th August, 1832, and the vines were 
duly planted. Unfortunately, Mr. Busby had left for New 
Zealand, and without his supervision during the succeeding years 
the requisite care was not continually exercised, and in course of 
time all was confusion. Practically speaking, Mr. Busby had 
collected all the best varieties from the vineyards he visited, and 
the destruction of the Montpelier collection was no loss since the 
majority of the varieties were more curiosities than commercial 
