150

THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. [No. 12

be purchased in any bookseller's shop called "Procédé de
Vinification; ou, l'Art de faire le Vin avec Sucre." The whole
process was explained to me on the spot by a proprietor, and I
tasted authentic specimens of the original genuine wine and of
the subsequently manufactured vin de sucre. The difference
was of course most marked. The latter had a poor thin flavour,
and contained obviously considerable unfermented sugar and
much saline matter. I assume that this is derived from the
solution of the tartrates in the "marc."

15. I may mention here that one result of the reduction of
    the French wine crop has been that the supply of tartar has
    considerably decreased in France. "Argol" (i.e., crude tartar)
    can only form to a paying extent in barrels which are left un-
    disturbed for a period of years. At Bordeaux the trade in it
    is not exactly a monopoly, but Dreyfus Brothers control about
    four-fifths of the business, "and have their agents in all wine
    districts ready to pick up large or small lots of tartar, which
    are offered at a low rate in the local markets." The dealers in
    argol are now said to have "a formidable rival in the field for
    the purchase of the supply in the person of the manufacturer
    of cheap brandies, who can afford to give a higher price for it,
    and has discovered that it imparts the wine-flavour to a con-
    cocted brandy, which is one of the tests of quality."

16. Energetic attempts have been made to make good the
    deficiencies in the French wine supply by drawing upon neigh-
    bouring countries in the South. Spanish grapes are also
    actually imported in vast quantities to be made into wine in
    France, and raisins and currants are eagerly purchased from
    Eastern Mediterranean countries for the same purpose. I have
    thought that it would be interesting to append to this report
    (Appendix II.)* a series of extracts from the Foreign Office
    trade reports, which, taken collectively, give a vivid picture of
    the straits in which France now finds itself to maintain its
    wine-trade.

I am further indebted to Mr. Bateman, of the Statistical
Department, Board of Trade, for the striking figures which are
contained in the tables in Appendix I.* I may summarize
briefly some of these. It will be seen that, while the mean
wine-production of France for the ten-year period preceding
1881 was about 49,000,000 hectolitres (the hectolitre 22 gallons),
the produce of that year was only 34,000,000, a falling-off of
about one-third. A still more dismal tale is told by the ratio
of exports and imports. The former, instead of being double
the latter in 1881, only amounted to less than one-third of
them!

17. The figures with regard to the trade in alcohol tell the
    same story in another way. The mean average imports were
    104,685 hectolitres, and the exports, 407,690. In 1881 the
    imports were 236,441, or more than double, while the exports
    were 273,187, or one-third less.

18. The examination of the statistics of French alcohol
    manufacture is not calculated to leave a very pleasant impres-
    sion on consumers of French wine and brandy. The average
    production of alcohol made from potatoes and farinaceous sub-
    stances was 164,694 hectolitres; in 1881 it was three times this
    (506,273 hectolitres). The average production of alcohol from
    grapes was 385,530 hectolitres; in 1881 it had fallen to less
    than a sixth of this, or 61,839 hectolitres.

19. In the early part of this year a Bill was before the French
    Chambers to allow spirit added to wine to make a strength of
    not more than 27°, to be charged a duty of 20 francs per
    hectolitre instead of the ordinary spirit duties, which are often
    ten times more. Spirit so added has for a long time been free
    from duty when the wine was for export. The deterioration in
    the character of the alcohol produced in France is therefore a
    matter of the gravest moment. If the law has passed (of
    which I have no information) the wine consumed by the
    French themselves will be subject to admixture with alcohol
    made from other sources than the grape. The change has been
    made to protect French wine against competition with foreign
    imported wine, the duty upon which will be 2 francs per hecto-
    litre instead of 3 francs 50 cents. Both modifications of the
    duties are obviously indirect consequences of the injury done
    by the Phylloxera.

20. I think the facts which I have brought together give a
    sufficiently comprehensive account of the decay of the once
    splendid French wine industry. The reflections which they
    suggest as regards the wine-producing capacity of our Aus-
    tralian Colonies are obvious. It is not merely that French wine
    production has diminished. That would be a bearable evil if
    it meant nothing more than an increase of cost to the con-
    sumer. What is not so tolerable is the deterioration in the
    quality which, from the variety of facts which I have set out,
    it is obvious must continuously proceed. The consumer in
    England at least will always pay well for genuine wholesome
    wine, and the way is now clearly open for Australia to supply
    it.

21. I felt it my duty to lay before the Congress the docu-
    ments with which I was furnished as to the existence of the
    Phylloxera in Australia. The President, Mons. Lalande,

• Too voluminous for republication.
  thought that the evidence left no doubt about it. This, how-
  ever, was not the opinion of the Entomological Society of
  London. I had the opportunity, while at Bordeaux, of con-
  versing on the subject with Mr. Roland Trimen, my fellow
  colonial delegate, who was a member of the Committee
  appointed by the Entomological Society to discuss the matter.
  He adhered to the opinion that the evidence was not con-
  clusive. I would earnestly recommend as the Entomological
  Society has already done that specimens of vine-roots, sup-
  posed to be affected with Phylloxera, should be sent to Kew,
  preserved in alcohol in tubes. The Director of the Royal
  Gardens will take care that the most authoritative opinion
  obtainable in Europe shall be pronounced upon them.

22. I trust that the unavoidable delay on my part, from the
    pressure of multifarious official duties, in submitting this report,
    will not have entailed any inconvenience. The postponement
    has, at any rate, afforded me the opportunity of obtaining
    authentic information, which I trust will be found to be not
    without value.

I must conclude by expressing my sense of the honour which
the several Australian Governments have done me in intrusting
me with this mission. I shall, I need scarcely say, be happy to
supplement what I have said with any further information on
any point of detail which may be thought desirable.

W. T. THISELTON DYER, C.M.G., F.R.S.,
Assistant-Director, Royal Gardens, Kew.

5th September, 1882.

†I may state that, though many persons in the Cape Colony believed
that the vineyards there were affected with Phylloxera, it may be taken as
absolutely certain that, up to the present time, this is not the case,

Special Order altering Boundaries of Ridings in County
of Hawke's Bay.

Colonial Secretary's Office,
Wellington, 19th January, 1883.

THE following special order, made by the Council of the

1. County of Hawke's Bay, is published in accordance with
   "The Counties Act 1876 Amendment Act, 1882."

THOMAS DICK.

Hawke's Bay County Council Chamber,
Napier, 26th December, 1882.

At a meeting of the Hawke's Bay County Council, held on
the 23rd December, 1882, the following resolution was duly
passed:--

Resolved, The resolution passed at the special meeting of the
Council held on the 22nd day of November last, adopting the
boundaries of the ridings in the Hawke's Bay County as here-
after set out, be confirmed.

Passed by the County Council of Hawke's Bay, this 23rdday
of December, 1882.

BOUNDARIES OF RIDINGS.

Patea.--Commencing at the junction of the Taruarau Stream
with the Ngaruroro River; thence following the Taruarau
Stream to the western boundary of Harding's Run; thence in
a south-westerly direction to Pikirangi; thence in a southerly
direction along the old provincial boundary to the present
county boundary; thence in a westerly direction to Trigs. 30
and 32; thence northerly to Trigs. 16, 24, and 28; thence
easterly to Trigs. 27 and 26; thence still easterly in the direction
of Trig. 654 to the Ngaruroro River; and thence following the
said river to the starting point.

Okawa. Commencing at the bridge over the Tutaekuri River
near Redclyffe; thence following the western boundary of the
Meanee District in a generally southerly direction to the present
course of the Ngaruroro River; thence following the Ngaruroro
River in a north-westerly direction to the Hawke's Bay County
boundary; thence easterly to Trig. 654; thence in a south-
easterly direction to the head of the Tutaekuri River; and
thence following the said river to the starting point.

Puketapu. Commencing on the Kaweka Range at Trig. 654;
thence south-easterly to the head of the Tutaekuri River;
thence down the said river to the western boundary of Block I.,
Puketapu District; thence northerly along the boundary of
Meanee District to the Ahuriri Harbour; thence following the
edge of the harbour in a north-westerly direction to the north-
west boundary of the Wharerangi Native Reserve; thence in a
north-westerly direction to the eastern boundary of the Apley
estate; thence following the east and north boundaries of that
estate to the Mangaone River; thence up that river to its
source; thence a line bearing due west to the boundary of the
county; thence southerly along that boundary to the starting
point.

Petane. Commencing at the source of the Mangaone River;
thence due west to the boundary of the Hawke's Bay County;
thence following the county boundary generally north to the
Taupo Road; thence following the county boundary generally
south-east to the sea-coast; thence southerly along the sea-
coast to the entrance to Napier Harbour; thence following the