THE WINE INDUSTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XL, Issue 12303, 22 June 1903, Page 5

THE WINE INDUSTRY.

STATEMENT BY SIGNOR BRAGATO.

PROPOSED LEGISLATION.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN' CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Saturday. Signor Bragato, who has just returned from a visit to the North, says that the output of Auckland and Hawke's Bay provinces this season will amount, to about 20,000 gallons of wine. The results obtained in the North Island have far excelled Signor Bragato's expectations. Although the season way fully seven weeks late, the grape crop throughout the island ripened so well as to produce really firstclass wine. Indeed, it is, he says, of a quality never before produced in this country, by reason 01 the fact that the growers are going to v. oik more systematically, and a better class of fruit fa being grown. The Waerenga experimental farm lias doubled its former crop, and better wine has been obtained through proper attention being paid to the right method of treating the grapes and manufacturing the wine. At Wasrenga 6CO gallons were made from 1£ acres under cultivation. This area- will be very largely increased in a couple of years. "If the Government intend* to go on further and establish large vineyards there of 200 or SCO acres, cut up into blocks of 10 acres each," remarked Si;rnor Bragalo, "the Waerenga district will become an industrial centre, because the climate and soil there could not he surpassed for this purpose, but it is no use advising tbe people to embark upon the. industry until Ave get enough ol the American resistant stock with which to supply growers and intending growers for future plantations to graft on the varieties most suitable for the different districts. Unless we have these the vine-growing industry will be greatly hampered, because phylloxera will spread all over the country. It already exists in the Auckland district, though 1 am glad to say that is not the case in regard to Hawke's Bay. Steps have already been taken to procure this resistant stock, and with the fine climate here we in time will be able to supply the other colonies with such cuttings from our experimental farms." The Government has in view the passing of a Wine Adulteration Act this session, which Signor Bragato avers will prove of very great, benefitto the industry throughout the colony.