158 



There were not many wine grapes grown of the better kinds. 

 Now there are many acres planted with carbinet, mataro mal- 

 bec, besides doradilla, which is an excellent grape, both for 

 the table and the wine vat. It makes superior white wine. All 

 vines thrive on the Swan ; I cannot say that the dessert stocks do 

 better than the wine kinds, but the table crop is certainly very line. 

 I have never seen choicer grapes, either larger or of better flavour. 

 If anything, the ground is too rich for the wine grape. The crop is 

 a very heavy one, but an earthy flavour in the wine has sometimes 

 been suspected. Perhaps a more gravelly country, with an ad- 

 mixture of lime and ironstone, would grow a more perfect grape for 

 the wine maker. A great deal of wine is made in the district. The 

 largest vignerons are Mr. C. Ferguson, of Houghton, whose 

 cellars are about five miles from Guildford, Mr. George Lennard, 

 also an extensive grower, and Messrs. Nanson & Co." 



The Swan district is one of those which are looking forward to 

 the establishment of co-operative wineries in order to prevent a 

 glut of grapes, and to ensure the making of wine of a high and 

 uniform grade on a large scale, under the most skilful treatment and 

 supervision. The scheme has engaged the attention of the Bureau 

 of Agriculture. It is the desire of the Bureau to establish co- 

 operative wineries on a purely mutual basis, so that the producers 

 will reap all the profits of their labor above actual working expenses. 

 The plan that has been outlined by the Bureau is that the capital 

 required to equip a central winery shall be advanced by the State at 

 5 per cent, per annum, the loan to be repayable in ten years, on the 

 security of the first mortgage over the land, buildings, and plant of 

 the factory, and the joint and several guarantee of all the members 

 in the group. It is also proposed that the Government shall have 

 power to levy a tax upon the vineyards which supply grapes to the 

 State-aided winery in case the interest and sinking fund are not paid 

 within three years. An alternative plan is that advances shall be 

 made by the State at the rate of 5 per cent, per annum for a period 

 of ten years, amounting to ten shillings in every pound of fully paid 

 up capital subscribed by the groups ; the land, buildings, plant, and 

 machinery to be given as security for the subsidy. The proposals 

 of the Bureau received the assent of the Producers' conference, 

 1896, and at the conference of the following year another resolution 

 was agreed to affirming the desirableness of co-operation among 

 producers. It was urged that in order to prevent the grape market 

 being over supplied, which would result in a serious fall in prices, it 

 was necessary that the growers who do not possess plant and cellars 

 should take steps to provide their own output on terms, which, while 

 being helpful to themselves, would impose no risk of loss upon the 

 State. In the other colonies overstocking had occurred, with 

 the result that some of the smaller vineyards had become unre- 

 munerative, and the large vignerons were given the power to rule the 

 market, buying at quotations which they took care to fix low enough 



