RECORD CROP OF HIGH QUALITY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22585, 13 March 1948, Page 8

RECORD CROP OF HIGH QUALITY

GISBORNE GRAPES j BEST SUGAR YIELD; SIX-TON ACRE AVERAGE j Heavier yields of dessert and j wine-making grapes with a higher j sugar content than usual are | being harvested in Gisborne. The season has been the best experienced in the old-established vineyards of the district. Light tain in many parts of Hie district just as the grapes were starting to ripen, and dry. iiot weather since have contributed to the record harvest and high quality. Sugar content has risen about one-third o;i an average year, or, in other words, the Baunte hydrometer test records 10 to 11 degrees ..this season, about three degrees., higher than the average lor Gisborne. Many young vineyards will be coming into profit within the next year or two and although the Gisborne climate ripens the fruit three weeks earlier than in Hawke’s Bay, giving Gisborne growers that much margin on the early market, it appears that there is on opening for a factory to make more table wine in ‘his district. Growers then would be assured tor an outlet for any surplus and waste would be eliminated. Growers understand that £B4 per ton is paid for wine grapes of the desired quality at Te Knuwhata. Demand Exceeds Supply

It is understood that the demand for wine in the Dominion by far exceeds he production and importations have been severely restricted. Gisborne wines already are well-known throughout the country. Auckland and Wellington residents have been buying consistently. The two vineyards visited this week were those of Mr. F. C. Chitty, Hcxton, and Mr. F. Wohnsiedler, Waihirere, dessert grape and wine-making establishments respectively. Mr. Chitty. who grows chiefly Albany Surprise dessert grapes, has a season extending over about five weeks and

makes a quantity of wine with his later varieties. He estmates his crop this season at about five tons to the acre. He is busilv engaged picking now. On the other hand, at Waihirere, Mr. Wohnsiedler turns his entire crop into wine and the grapes are harvested at the rate of throe tons per day. More than half the crop has been picked already. Ilis estimated yield this season is set at six tons to the acre. From one area of one-seventh of an acre he has taken 2 tons 3ewt.. the equivalent of 15 tons to the acre. That is the best yield he has ever recorded. With six pickers employed, the harvest is expected to take 12 days. Control of Birds Views vary in the two vineyards regarding the best form of bird control, but in each tliev report losses from that cause to be light. At Hcxton. Mr. Chitty had been using windmills, some painted red and others

with a bright finish, at regular intervals to scare the birds. Although the ground between the rows of vines is cultivated he leaves the weeds under the vines to prevent the birds running across the rows. Running up the rows the birds offer a better target, for the gun. Mr Chitty thinks. Both use the stock-whip to scare the birds. Wax-eyes have been the main trouble. • Shelter trees do not exist on Mr. Wohnsiedler’s property because of the sanctuary they offer to birds. The stock-whip and the gun are the methods used there to keep the birds away. Although there used to be thousands of wax-eyes about the vineyard, they disappeared for a time. This season had been the worst for bird life in three years. Started 28 Years Ago Mr. Chitty established half of his vineyard which now covers two and ahalf * acres, 28 years ago and completed his planting of the block when the rail link with the Wellington markets was completed. Prior to the war he and his son used to take a truck to Hastings to market their early dessert grapes and relieve Ihe situation in Gisborne. They would load up the truck with (50 101 b boxes and had little trouble in making sales. That, was possible on three week-ends, Mr. Chittv said, because Gisorne had that much lend on the Hawke’s Bay crops. The grapes he was picking this week were helping to supply Gisborne requirements and were being distributed on markets further afield. There was scarcely a weed on the six acres of grapes grown bv Mr Wohnsiedler. It was considered that birds were disturbed by a person walking a few rows distant because they were able to see and hear the movement of feet that distance. Later varieties of grapes were protected by bird-proof netting.