412 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Dec., 1902. 
Ginpie ViIneyarp.—I have to repeat the same tale of disaster this year that was 
told in my last report. The ground that had been cleared and prepared for the 
vineyard was planted a second time last August with cuttings of Zante currants, 
Almeria shipping grapes, and several varieties of wine and table grapes. I also 
planted at the same time the bulk of the young rooted American resistant stock vines. 
transplanted from Dunwich, where they had been in quarantine. A. little rain had 
fallen at Gindie shortly before the vineyard was replanted, and the vines and cuttings 
made a good start, but from all accounts no rain has fallen from that day to this, 
with the deplorable result that not only did all the cuttings perish, but also the 
bulk of the resistant stocks which had been brought from France at great trouble and 
some expense. I have obtained permission to remove the survivors to the Westbrook 
vineyard, where I hope to propagate them. It is not my intention to request 
permission to make any furthur attempts to grow vines at this State farm, as 1 feel 
convinced that in this arid zone of country viticulture would be a waste of time and 
money, and eyen if partially successful would not be an object lesson to people entirely 
devoted to pastoral pursuits. 
Resistant Srocks.—With a view to being prepared for a possible invasion of 
the Phyllorera pest from the Southern States, a number of resistant stocks were 
imported from France by this Department, and planted at the Gindie and Westbrook 
vineyards for the purpose of propagation and distribution should the necessity ever 
arise. Before any one or more yarieties could be recommended as a stock for a 
given soil it is necessary to prove their adaptability to that soil under the varying 
conditions of climate and rainfall in Queensland. Although the experience of experts 
in Europe points out the direction in which our choice should be made, it does not 
foliow that the vines found to be most fitted to a given soil in France would be found 
to be the most adapted to a similar soil subjected to the extremes of drought and 
flood in this country. Only after proof has been made over a series of varying seasons 
can certainty on this essential point be obtained. 
The remarkable drought which has afflicted the State for a period of many 
months has given us the opportunity of testing their resistance on this point on twu 
widely different soils—y.c., the sandy ridges of Gindie and the chocolate soil of basaltice 
origin at Westbrook. It is an opportunity that may not occur again for years—a 
possibility that will be viewed with universal equanimity—I think, therefore, it would 
be useful to record in this report my observations on this important point. 
The following table shows the relative resistance of the vines to drought, taking 
10 as the equivalent of the most resistant :— 
Name of the Vine. Fee ane EX: Pai ietiog Remarks. 
Rupestris du Lot ... 10 1 
$$ Martin ... 8 5 ; 
- Forthworth ere 3 None planted at Gindie 
Riparia Gloire 2 1 
Rip x Rup 1011+ 10 8 
Rip x Rup 3309 8 8 ‘ 
Solonis oe if me 6 None planted at Gindie 
Rip x Solonis 1616 ... fe a0 2 2 
Aramon x Rup Ganzin, No.1 ... 4 9 
Mourvedre x Rup ... oe Aa 6 10 
{ 
The Gindie soil is a reddish, sandy soil, spare in humus, several feet deep, over- 
lying a gravel of unknown depth, poor in all chemical elements requisite for plant 
food. 
The Westbrook soil is a heavy chocolate to black soil, 12 to 24 inches deep, with. 
a cement-like subsoil of unknown depth, fairly rich in the chemical elements requisite 
for plant food. 
In the first, the Rupestris and its hybrids do best. In the second, the two 
Franco-Americans do best. In both, the Riparia is an utter railure—always, of 
course, under drought conditions. We have now to observe their growth under normal 
conditions and under excess of rainfall in these and other soils. 
Generat Remarxs.—The continuation of the drought which has inflicted such 
losses on the pastoralists and agriculturists in the Western districts, has brought more 
than ever into prominence the fact that around Roma the vine has proved the farmer's. 
friend and support. Had it not been for the occurrence of the two very hot waves last 
summer, which did considerable damage to the vines, there would have been a fairly 
