HISTORY
The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946)
Saturday 6 May 1876
A notice of Brown's Plains would be very incomplete without some special mention of the original occupier of the district which bears his name. Mr. Lindsay Brown, of Gooramadda, took up the country under notice in 1840.His homestead is delightfully situated immediately on the bank of the Murray, which is at that spot more than usually precipitous. The site is only about eight miles as the crow flies from Wahgunyah, but following the bends of the river it would be 30 miles. The property comprises between 5,000 and 6,000acres of grazing land; but it was here that the first vineyard was planted in the district in 1859. There are some 16 acres, chiefly under Pedro Ximenes, Shiraz, Grenache, and Mataro, Carignan, Black Pineau, and Riesling being found in smaller quantities. The quality of the wines here produced is very excellent; the Burgundy is specially rich, that of vintage 1866 is still a liqueur or ladies' wine. The estate of Mount Prior, comprising400 acres, is the property of Messrs. A. and
R. Caughey, of Melbourne, who acquired it about two years ago with a view to format that point a large wine-making establishment for the supply of their Melbourne trade. The area under vines at Mount Prior is only 14 acres, but the firm last year commenced buying must from the numerous growers in the district. Their experience having shown them the difficulty of dealing in a satisfactory manner with many small quantities of must, each of different quality, although made from the same kind of grape, Messrs. Caughey determined to take charge of the crops from the
time of ripening and with that intent have during the past reason purchased grapes only. In this way they have just dealt with150 tons of grapes produced in vineyards attached to farms. The erection of a larger
building for pressing and vatting was deferred until the season was too far advanced to permit of one suited to the increased business being prepared, but the experience thus gained will be useful, and the temporary structures hastily put up will be utilised in the permanent ones to be shortly
erected. The Messrs, Caughey have commenced to improve their herds by purchasing at Messrs. Robertson's (Colac) last sale the bull Richelieu and two heifers by Rockingham 8th, to which are added three from the La Rose herd, and 40 picked cows. The work of improving the pasturage has been undertaken, and is about to be followed upby sowing down 70 acres in lucerne. The doub grass (cynodon dactylon) does not succeed on these dry, red plains; although a couch grass, it actually dies out, excepting in cultivated land, as in vine-yards, where it is a troublesome weed. Some of the farmers prefer rye-grass, for though it dries up, it starts a new growth whatever rain occurs, but it is certainly nota grass for that district. The vineyard at Mount Prior runs to the top of the gentle rise so named, where the yellowish clay slate (apparently lower silurian) crops out, and constitutes the root bed of the vines. The principal kinds are Hermitage or Shiraz, Baxter's Sherry, Reisling, Malbec, Red and Brown Muscat. The Muscat of Alexandra does not thrive in the district; after the first few years it becomes stunted, and refuses to grow; the berries also become quite small. Of this establishment, which is in some measure a centre of vineyard operation for the locality, we shall have again to speak in our concluding notice of the district.
MOUNT PRIOR
The Australasian (Melbourne, Vic.)
Saturday 3 May 1884
THE VINTAGE AT BARNAWARTHA.
(by OUR AGRICULTURAL REPORTER)
Nearer the Murray River than Brown's Plains, and opposite Howlong, Messrs. A. and D. Caughey's Mount Prior Vineyard is situated. The original vineyard at Mount Prior consisted only of 14 acres, but after coming into the possession of Messrs. Caughey considerable extensions were made, and the work of enlarging the area of vines is still going on. There are now 180 acres planted, and an additional 60 acres are to be put under vines this season. The old vineyard has yielded a good crop this season, and satisfactory returns have been obtained from the four-year old vines, while even the younger vines have borne well. The vines which were planted only 18 months ago have borne a fair crop, a fact which is all the more surprising owing to the vines having been planted as late as September. It is somewhat difficult to account for the difference in the results obtained from the several vineyards throughout this part of the Murray Valley. Generally it has been found that the difference of soil has explained the variation in yield, the drought having been less severely felt on the sandy loam than upon the stiffer clay. The Mount Prior soil, however, is of a strong, chocolate clay nature, very little more friable than that of the plains. It may be that the atmosphere is a little more humid near the river than on the plains further from the stream.In preparing the land for planting at Mount Prior considerable trouble is taken to attain, by labour-saving methods, the results aimed at by the old system of hand-trenching; A large plough, with subsoiling attachment, an implement made for the purpose by Mr. H. Lennon, is drawn by 26 bullocks, and, by this means, the soil is stirred to a depth of 16in.,three-quarters of an acre being done in a day. The stiff nature of the subsoil, it is considered, renders this necessary, the more loamy soil not requiring to be loosened to such a depth. Cuttings have been planted with good success. As a rule, however, time is saved by planting vines, and yearling plants have been prepared for the 60 acres to be planted this season. In the old vineyard stakes are used, but the new plantings have been laid out with the design of using trellises. About 100 acres are now trained upon trellises, and the result so far have been satisfactory. Prices realised for grapes, however, have been so high of late years that the course of extending the vineyard was preferred to purchasing grapes. This season prices have been lower, and some parcels have been purchased, the price paid being £6 per ton. At Mount Prior the chief varieties of grapes are Shiraz, Cabinet, Malbec, Reisling, Tokay,and Gouais. In addition to their own vineyard at Mount Prior the Messrs. Caughey lease the Bontherambo vineyard from the Messrs. Docker, near Wangaratta. The varieties at Bontherambo are mainly the same as at Mount Prior, and the crop this season has been fairly satisfactory, averaging about 250 gal per acre. This season the old vineyard at Bontherambo is to be treated to a liberal dressing of sheep manure. The wines from both vineyards are removed after the second fermentation to the Messrs. Caughey's extensive central wine cellars on the banks of the Yarra in Melbourne, where they are matured before being placed on the market. The Messrs. Caughey have an extensive trade, and they have been successful exhibitors of wine. Among the more recent honours obtained have been a gold medal at Calcutta, and four first prizes at the Melbourne Intercolonial Wine and Products Exhibition.
Alexander Caughey.