APRIL I, 1903. 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER. 
THE VINEYARDS 
IN VICTORIA. 
SS - 
(By PROFESSOR PERKINS. 
My general impression ofthe situation at 
the present moment is that vine-growing 
as an industry is:in Victoria not only at a 
stands ill, but ‘inclined to lose ground. 
Every season is the witness of new acres 
thrown out of cultivation, and but little as yet 
appears to have been done to replace them. 
So far as I could ascertain, there are net 
From “ Journal of Agriculture, S.A.) 
buyers left too love a margin § of 
profit to encourage those who: had _ lost 
their vineyards to embark on the experimen: 
tal venture of American vines for special 
benefit of those who are doing their best to 
kill the industry. Ido not anticipate that 
any except those, the magnitude of whose 
interests absolutely fetters them to the busi- 
17 
moment we are somewhat overstocked with 
wine ; but who is there that can deny that 
itis morally certain that we shall be under- 
stocked in four or five years’ time? And 
what will. be the consequences then? ‘The 
export trade—and not the local or interstate 
trade-—will suffer, and we shall be stigma- 
tized as a country too much subject to 
fluctuations to render possible the establish- 
ment of definite and permanent business 
relations. To you who are aware how sensi- 
tive a thing is the wine trade, I need scarcely 
point out the consequences of such a con- 
tingency. And as we do not appear inclined 
to encourage further planting in our own 
State, let us hope that Victorians will find 
a way out of their present difflculties, I see 
WITH MANURE. 
WITHOUT, MANURE. 
A 
af 
Zante Currant Vines: Two Seasons’ Treatment. 1903 Crop. Grown Near Bankside. 
The above picture clearly demonstrates the beneficial effects of fertilizing the Currant Vine. 
Adelaide Chemical Works Company’s Special Vine Manure, 
until the second seascns’ crop. 
some localities with decided success. 
for the outlay. 
more than 31 acres under grafted plants in 
the whole State—about 15 acres in their fourth 
leaf at Bendigo, about 15 at ‘V'abilk in’ 
their second leaf, and about one acre at 
Ardmona in their first leaf. Nor does it seem 
probable that replanting on American stock 
is likely to take a more active’ turn in the 
near future. The position is one of con- 
siderable difficulty, which we cannot alto- 
gether view without concern. I heard it aver- 
ted on all sides that even under present 
circumstances, the prices paid by London 
ness, are at all likely to replant unless some 
special measures are taken to improve, the 
position of the home markets. From’ the 
purely selfish point of view, we might per- 
haps feel inclined to shed crocodile’s tears 
over our neighbours misfortunes ; even from 
this, the lowest of motives I am inclined to 
think that it were false policy to do so 
.Whatever benefit we may temporarily reap, 
the in long run, we have no interest in seeing 
the area under vines in Australia reduced. — 
I well understand that at the present 
This Vine was treated the last two years with the 
and while there was an apparent advantage the first season, the rcal benefit does not show 
1t would appear that it would pay to manure the vines for wine grapes as well as currants 
This hadalready been done in 
The price of the manure is quoted at £6 per ton, for this Special Vine Fertilizer, which gives a handsome profit 
but one way that is likely at all to prove 
effective, and that is that’ the Victorian 
Government, like our own, shall step in the 
arena, and. he!p to further open out: the 
London market. 
HEOS9SO 69 > 
Consicnment.—A shipment of “9,000 
Groff's Gladioli bulbs were consigned to 
Smith and Menzel, of Aldgate, last 
month, 
