1 Dec., 1902.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 413 
good crop of grapes, and this, notwithstanding four years continuous drought, which 
has dried up the subsoil to a depth of upwards of 10 feet! 
There is no other crop or fruit tree which has given so good a return to the 
farmers for the last four years as the vine, although the troubles of frost and hot 
waves have assisted to reduce the yield. 
The vine should be far more extensively cultivated than it is around Roma, both 
for table and wine-making purposes ; and, with the experience gained by the drought, 
it probably will be so. At the same time, farmers hesitate to plant lest, in the 
future, their wine grapes prove unsaleable ; for, they argue, with southern competition 
in the wine trade and a possible reduction in the Queensland output, grapes would 
not find a market, or, if so, at non-remunerative prices. ‘This is a mistaken idea I 
should like to dispel. So far as much of the wine as it is now being made in this 
State is concerned there will be undoubtedly a reduction in the sale and consequent 
output, but it is equally true that the consumption of wine in Queensland will greatly 
inerease since, with the entry of southern wines, ie have been lowered and 
quality raised. Are we to then admit that Queensland’s production will decrease 
because no wine can be made in this State equal in quality to Victorian or South 
Australian wines? Not so. With a correct procedure in wine preparation, and a 
proper choice of grapes to make the wine from, as good wine could be made here as in 
the abovementioned States, and one wine could be made which they cannot produce— 
namely, sherry. There is an erroneous idea prevalent that claret, chablis, and other 
wines can be made from any variety of grape, and that if a must, marking only 12 
degrees of natural sugar, be made up to 22 degrees or more with cane sugar, it will 
turn into as good a wine as if it containcd 22 degrees naturally. 1f winemakers insist 
upon following this procedure, there is small hope of improvement in the quality of 
their wine. The impulse must, in that case, come from beginners accepting expert 
advice, or from experienced men who see an opportunity of making wine in this State. 
The latter, whom in the interests of the grape-grower it is most desirable to attract to 
Queensland, will not invest capital in the industry unless they are assured that good. 
wine can be made in the country, and that the appropriate varieties of grapes for 
doing so can be purchased. ‘To prove that wine can be made in Queensland equal in 
uality to that made in the Southern States, I have advocated the establishment of a 
State vineyard and cellar, which in a few years would effect its purpose, and could 
then, if desired, be sold or leased as a going concern, but up to the present this 
recommendation has not been approved. u 
‘With regard to the varieties of grapes that a would-be winemaker could 
purchase in Queensland, it is a lamentable fact that the most suitable are conspicuous 
by their absence. Everywhere predominates the Mataro, or Cluster, fit only for coarse 
orts or to be sparingly blended with the better claret varieties, and the Clairette or 
lanquette, which makes but an inferior light white wine. ‘The Carbenet, Malbec, 
Merlot, or Doleetto, for light red wines, are not to be obtained, and but a moderate 
quantity of B. Hermitage. For light white wines there is a little better choice, but 
some of the finest, such as the Chardonay, are not to be found. For wines of a sherry 
type not 20 tons of suitable grapes could be bought in the country, and true port 
Varieties are non-existent. Until vignerons take steps to remedy this state of affairs, 
no experienced man will risk his capital in a cellar and wine-making plant, and the 
inevitable result will be that Roma vignerons will find increasing difficulty in disposing 
of the inferior quality of grapes. The remedy is easy. Let them, for the future, 
plant only the finer varieties, which, if not such heavy bearers, will, with better prices, 
iets in an equal return; and likewise let them graft gradually their existing inferior 
varioties with the better kinds—a certain number every seascn, so as not to be without 
a crop. 
Te yarieties which it would be advisable to plant are, for light red wines, 
Carbenet, Malbec, Merlot, Dolcetto, B. Hermitage ; and for light white wines, W. 
Hermitage, Riesling, Chardonay, Mauzac. ‘The above should be planted on the 
poorer ridges and lower grounds. On the ridges of the best quality of soil, Verdeilho, 
Sercial, Palomino (called sweet water in Roma), Boal, or W. Portugal; likewise the 
Greniiche and true port varieties, as these ridges are particularly well adapted for 
port and sherry types of wine. In dry seasons the density of the must produced on 
them is too high for light medium wines. ‘The varieties indicated for light red and 
white wines should also be planted in the Warwick and Toowoomba districts. The 
above do not comprise all the varieties that could be advantageously planted, but 
they serve as an indication of what is required by practical winemakers. 
The past season has proved an exceptionally bad one to Queensland vignerons. 
In the spring, coulure or non-setting of a portion of the bunches caused by unfavour- 
able climatic conditions when the vine was in flower. Later on a persistent drought 
