VINEYARD CULTURE IN AUSTRALIA. 69 



" The soil and climate of New South Wales are universally- 

 considered peculiarly adapted for the cultivation of the vine. 

 The vine has been cultivated in various localities in New 

 South Wales for many years past ; but never to any extent, or 

 with a view to the making of wine, till within the last three or 

 four years. There are now, however, many acres of vine- 

 yard throughout the colony, the vineyards of several of the 

 more wealthy proprietors being for the most part under the 

 management of scientific and practical vine-dressers from the 

 south of Europe ; and wine and brandy in considerable quan- 

 tity — as much in one instance as eighteen pipes of the for- 

 mer — have already been manufactured on several estates. It 

 is scarcely possible as yet, to predict, with any degree of cer- 

 tainty, of what quality the wines of New South Wales will 

 eventually prove ; for the vine requires to be in bearing for 

 five or six years before good wine can, in any instance, be 

 produced from its fruit. The specimens of wine, however, 

 that have actually been produced from the colonial grape, 

 have induced a general idea on the part of the colonists, that 

 the wine of New South Wales will be somewhat similar to 

 the light wines of the Rhine and of France. At all events, 

 the highest expectations are entertained on the subject ; and 

 those of the landholders, who have planted vineyards, begin 

 to talk already of exporting wine to India and England. 



" Cuttings of the choicest European and African vines have 

 at different times been imported into the colony, by public- 

 spirited proprietors. 



" About eleven years ago, Mr. Redfern, a respectable colon- 

 ist, touched at the island of Madeira, on returning from Eu- 

 rope to New South Wales, and carried out with him a number 

 of cuttino-s of the celebrated vine of that island, together with 

 one or two Portuguese families acquainted with its culture. 



*' The Messrs. Macarthur of Camden, had a large collection 

 of cuttings of the choicest French and German vines sent out 

 to them, for propagating in the colony several years ago ; 



