WAIRANGI VINEYARDS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 12546, 13 April 1904, Page 6

WAIRANGI VINEYARDS.

VISIT OF INSPECTION BY ' ' ORCHARDISTS. =< ■ -.' v' : "'' v ■ u ■■■■<•■- ; ' . ; ■ ■■■■■■ 'i-mmmmm PROSPECTS OF THE FRUIT AND VUJB ; INDUSTRIES. • ' r : -' : • V'. ■■ ;* J c r : A large number of orchardists and others interested in fruit culture visited the Govcrnment's Wairangi orchards and vineyards '11 yesterday, at the invitation of tho AgricuJ. tural and Stock Department, and under the "5 auspices of the Auckland Fruitgrowers" Union. The party were met on arrival by • Mr. E. Clifton, chief inspector in the Auckland district for the Agricultural and Stock ' Department, and after luncheon made aa *$0 inspection of tho vineyards, orchard, and nursery. Mr. W. A. Boucher, Government Pomologist, gave a display of spraying fruit '• f trees, explaining the application and consti- ■ : tuents of the solutions found to be most efficacious in the destruction of fungoid and inscet pests; and practical orchardists wera > ' not blow to seize the abundant opportunities afforded them of picking up a great many wrinkles which they did not know before, or okgecing applied under conditions with which they may have been unfamiliar methods for getting out of an orchard the maximum result at thj minimum of expense. There were seen growing a great assortment of * > > fruit trees, apart from the numerous varietiei of apples or pears, and certain citrous fruit trees, such as loquats, figs, medlars,'and quinces. There was also a small patch of 1 tobacco, of the Zimmer, Spanish, and Connecticut varieties, some Leaves of which have been sent to experts foi making up into plug v tobacco and cigar-covering and filling. After inspecting the orchard and the spraying and fumigating, the party were conducted by Signor Bragato to the vineyards,', where they were able to see much ot tha open-air growing ot grape*, suitable for table and wine-making purposes. There were to be seen growing Gros Coleman and Golden "> Chasselas grapes only, most of the othee varieties having been already gathered in. From the vineyards the party were conducted to the cellars, where the whole process ' . of wine-making was seen in operation, and also plant for distillation of brandy, the lastnamed industry having just been introduced at Wairangi. The crushing of grapes, fresh from the vineyards,, was conducted foe the edification of the visitors, and the fermentation of white and red wines was to be seen in progress, together with the racking ' of wines. A number of white and red wines, consisting of Riesling, Bed Hermitage, Carhornet, Sauvignon, Pineau, Meunipr, and i|f§j Chasselas, were sampled. They were certainly very fine wines, beautiful of bouquet, most attractive in colour, and of delicate . flavour. _

Signor Bragato found it necessary to as-' sure several connoisseurs that the wine wag made from the juice of the grape atid nothing else, no sugar or other artificial addition having been made. He also stated that wine could be produced, ii it were gone about in the proper way. for half-a-crown a gallon, and then yield £50 an acre. In replying to questions, he admitted that at ■ present the taste of the general public was for sweet rather than dry wines, which are the: most suitable kinds for producing in this province, but it was merely a matter of time ■■ and price to put the business on a paying basis. There was nothing, he said, to prevent the producing of better wine in this ,< H part of the colony than in France— of course, similar to those made in France. Just before the party joined the train, Mr. W. Johns, president of the Auckland Fruit- ; growers' Union, took the opportunity of expressing the thanks of the members of the union to Mr. Clifton, Mi. Boucher, and Signor Bragato for the interesting and instructive time that they had been enabled to spend at Wairangi. The union, he said, appreciated the warm welcome they had received and the profitable time they were fi enabled to spend very much indeed, and they had been much impressed with what' they had seen and what had been done with most unpromising land. He remembered the starting of the enterprise, and he thoughtat the time, knowing the character of the country, that the experiment was doomed t '{ to failure from the outset, but he had been .much surprised by what he had seen could p be done with such land. If the Govern- yj ment continued to assist fruitgrowers in this way, by showing them what could be done " with certain soils which had been found difficult to deal with, then they would be " T • doing a most- excellent work ; and one calcu- . • lated to greatly assist the profitable develop- '-'-5 ment of the colony. (Hear, hear.) * Fruitgrowers were well able to judge for them- K selves what the land at Wairangi was cap- 5 able of, and they were quite qualified to draw deductions from what they saw; but bad some of those present seen the land as ho saw it before it was taken over, they would have been sanguine indeed to have *1 predicted the results 'hat had been achieved at Wairangi, and which they could see for themselves. He felt sure that they would go away more satisfied with the colony and what it could produce, if the land was dealt , r with in the proper way. He appealed to gentlemen present who were not members of the association to bccome so, and so strengthen the claim which fruit had for - due consideration, in common with ; the most important industries of the colony. _ (Applause.) •> Mr. A. Sturges spoke in a similar strain-. He had visited Wairangi a great deal, and had been astonished by the improvements that he had seen 011 each visit. What fruitgrowers had seen that clay must have been - most encouraging and helpful to them. The wisdom of the Government in starting this ," orchard and vineyard, he thought, had been fully justified. -*,• Mr. Parish then commenced a canvass of 1 those present for memners of the Auckland.-. Union, and secured 16 new members. v

Mr. Clifton, in reply to Mr. Johns, said he hoped that tho fruit and wine industry would become as important to the colony us the dairying industry had now become. He knew that 15 years ago farmers' wives were making butter for ?.jd lb, and were very happy indeed if they got 41b per lb for it. There was a great deal of couut.ry in tha Auckland province which was quite unsuitable for dairying, but with proper treat* ment it could be made, and cheaply, too,eminently suitable for fruitgrowing. It was hoped to develop 50 or 60 fruit farms, of wnich Wairangi would be the centre, whore growers could grow fruit, or grapes, a*> they chose, by which it would be demonstrated that wiue-grapegrowing, fruit canning, and pulping could be profitably carried on. He assured growers that this would in no way compete with them in meeting the demands of the local market, for fresh fruit, but it was hoped to capture the canned fruit trade, and build, tip a big export trade, as had been done in Tasmania, which, from very small beginnings, had been built up to art. industry which was of t he utmost importance; to that colony, and that had done much to contribute to its prosperity. He referred to tho untiring energy of Messrs. Boucher, Bragato, Kensington, Barrett, and Robinson, and every member of the staff at Wairangi, and to the hard work they had done, and the interest they had manifested in making the place a real interest to practical fruitgrowers and wine-makers. They should not forget, however, that Wairangi was an experimental station, run for getting the best results and foi gaining experience, to be placed at the service of practical fruitgrowers, who might profit by the experiments conducted and the experience gained there. Be thanked the visitors for then attendance-, and the party then returned to town.