VINE CULTURE AND THE GRAPE. 



437 



capitalist, but will amply remunerate the man of small means who has 

 the requisite skill and industry to enter upon it. One man can attend 

 to 8 or 10 acres of vineyard by obtaining occasional assistance ; and if 

 he have any mechanical ability, he can, as many of the small growers, 

 who are chiefly Germans, now do, make most of his plant himself. 

 Should he have to buy the plant he will need a capital of from 50/. to 

 lOOZ. A handy man who could do his own coopering would require 

 less. A small grower could not reckon on more than 300 to 500 

 gallons of wine per acre. The largest manufacturer in the Hunter 

 district has, in favourable seasons, and from certain kinds of grapes, 

 obtained 1000 gallons per acre ; but his average yield would not be 

 more than from 600 to 700 gallons. Much depends upon the soil and 

 the variety of grape. Five hundred gallons must be considered a 

 good average yield. At 400 gallons to the acre, and 2s. per gallon 

 for his wine-juice, the vigneron would get 40Z. per acre, and 100 acres 

 of vineyard would yield 4000Z. a year, leaving ample margin for 

 casualties. The labour in a vineyard may be reduced to a small per- 

 centage on the produce, by planting in such a manner that it can be 

 ploughed in various directions, and by using suitable implements. 



Victoria. — Following in the wake of New South Wales, and from 

 cuttings obtained from Sir W. Macarthur's vineyards at Camden, 

 the vine was introduced into Geelong, and as early as the year 1851 

 the Hon. D. Hope had fair vineyards there in full bearing, and pro- 

 ducing a drinkable wine. The year 1855 showed 274 acres under 

 culture in Victoria, producing 11,000 gallons of wine. 



In 1865 there were 4078 acres in vineyards, with 8,199,618 vines, 

 from which 176,959 gallons of wine were made, besides 18,063 cwts. 

 of grapes sold. 



The acreage under vines in Victoria in 1874 was 5222. The total 

 weight of grapes gathered was 105,650 cwts., the wine produced 

 562,713 gallons, and the brandy 100 gallons. The brandy made is 

 generally not sold, but used for the purpose of fortifying wine. On 

 the 31st March, 1876, there were planted in the colony 12,060,685 

 vines, of which 11,071,813 were above three years old, 971,602 under 

 three years, and 17,270 unspecified. The wine made in the year 1875 

 was 755,000 gallons, of brandy 256 gallons ; 123,650 cwts. of grapes 

 were made into wine, and 21,211 cwts. sold as table fruit. 



Queensland. — There is a large quantity of wine made in this 

 colony, some of which is very good after having the advantage of a 

 year or two in bottle. It is almost all consumed in the neighbourhood 

 where it is produced, and vine growers mostly look for profit to the 

 sale of the fruit. From the great range of soil and climate, it may 

 confidently be anticipated that some of the districts will yet acquire a 

 reputation beyond the colony for their vintages. 



