462 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 June, 1899, 
hand, there is damage to crop in those years when the rains are early; but 
information supplied from Roma, the principal grape-growing district, indicate 
that this is the exception and not the rule. 
Since the extra cultivation required does not account for the higher price 
of Queensland grapes, it must be inferred that the demand exceeds the supply, 
and more vines should be planted. There is a large consumption of grapes for 
eating purposes, and the produce of more than one vineyard is yearly sold in 
the markets for the table, thus reducing the supply upon which vignerons could 
draw. It is perfectly certain that with grapes at £8, or even £6, per ton, 
the Queensland winemakers will be handicapped against the southern makers, 
and the reduction in the price of grapes by more extensive cultivation is clearly 
a necessary step towards meeting competition. _ 
_ Some vignerons continue the cultivation of the vines long after the crop is 
off. This is a mistake, and adds to the expenses. Late cultivation prolongs the 
activity of the vine when it should be getting rest. To keep down the weeds, 
put one or two sheep in the vines, or any other animal that can be depended 
upon not to chew the canes. 
Another point upon which economy could be practised is in harvesting the 
crop and in the vintage operations, a lamentable loss of time occurring in 
places from want of system and organisation. There can be no doubt whatever 
that the harvesting and vintaging in the south costs less per acre than in 
Queensland generally speaking. 
Roma vignerons should also agitate for an equalization of rates for the 
carriage of grapes and wine. At the present time the railway carriage of a given 
quantity of wine costs dowble that of the quantity of grapes required to make 
it, and the latter take up five or six times more room. ‘The result is that wine- 
makers find it more profitable to bring Roma grapes down to the coast and make 
the wine there. Itis unnecessary to point out that grapes that have been knocking 
about in a hot truck two or three days cannot make a wine as sound and of 
equal quality to that made from freshly picked grapes. As matters are now, a 
cask of wine can be sent at less cost from Adelaide, Melbourne, or Sydney to 
Brisbane than from Roma. 
Having made the above suggestions for improvement of quality and reduction 
of cost, the writer has one or two suggestions to make regarding the trade. 
Persistent agitation should be kept up for the increasing of the number of 
retailing wineshops. If an individual can get a glass of fair claret for 3d. ata 
retail wineshop, he will not pay 6d. for it at the hotel bars, and an increase in 
the number of retailers would mean an increase in the wine consumption. 
Queensland winemakers should not delay adopting the baby bottle, holding 
- half-a-pint. There is no doubt that it is a great nuisance to the bottler, but its 
adoption in South Australia and Victoria has enormously increased the consump- 
tion of their wines. Thousands now regularly drink a sixpenny “baby” of 
Chablis or claret with their lunch, who formerly drank a glass of beer. Anything 
that tends to increase consumption must benetit the trade, and the adoption of 
the ‘‘ baby” will undoubtedly have that effect, as already proved in the southern 
colonies. 
A DESCRIPTION OF SOME VINES GROWN AT THE 
GOVERNMENT STATE FARMS. 
No. 2.—THE SERVANT. 
By E. H. RAINFORD, 
Viticultural Expert. 
Vigorous grower. 
Leaf.—Dark-green above, five lobed, not deeply indented, very slight down 
below, petiolar sinus open, teeth short. 
Bunch.— Large, winged, and loose with a thick stalk. 
Berry.—Large, round to slightly elliptic, firm rather thick skin, greeny- 
white in colour, abundant bloom, and of agreeable flavour. 
