Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1868-01-21
.RJBB1Nc IHIe ROOTS.
The Enemies OF the Plant, &c. &c.
Special Correspondence Of the Chicago III.

Special Correspondence Of the Chicago Times
BAsApoo. Sank Co., Wis Oct %.
The extraordinary discrimination
OF the present internal revenue laws
against spurious and in favor Of malt
liquors, by imposing an enormous
tax 1.-TWO dollars per proof galIon)
upon the one. and but a trihing inn
4 post Gone dollar per barrel) upon the
other, has most unguestionablv exer
! cised very powerful influence to,
ward changing the national bover-
age, Previous to the war, when col.
lectors federal taxes were un,
/ known, and no tax was levied upon
1 liquors, spirits made from corn
ana other kinds OF grain were so
cheap the prime cost Of unrectified
spirits ranging from 10 to 20 cents
per proof gallon, and pare alcohol
only about twice as much) that the
great bulk Of the liquors consumed
IN this country were made in this
way, and brandy, whisky, rum, gin
and the various combine tions and
manufacturers Of the same were
about the only kid of liquors con-
sumed to any great extent by the
American people. How far the gen
cral use Of alcohol in this concentra-
ted form tended to encourage and
aggravate the evils Of intemperance.
although question which could be
inves tigated with great interest and
profit, 1T Is not my present purpose
10 discuss, although it may not prove
much Of depression to say that beer
| contains from four to four and a half
per cent. Of alcohol, while the var-
Gus kinds of spurious liquors contain
from so to go per cent. or that in
drinking gill Of whisky, a man
takes into his system more alcohol
t1an IS contained in nearly gallon
OF lager beer The imposition Of the
enormous tax upon spirits rendered
the cost OF pure spirits Of this de-
scrlptiOn so great that they were plac.
ed, IN measure, beyond the reach
of the mass of those persons who had
| been their largest consumers and,
as most OF them were unwilling to
substitute an impure article, or aban
don the consumption Of liquors alto
/ gcther, they were induced, by the
fact that but a trifing tax had been
imposed upon malt liquors, to use
beer aud ale instead Of brandy and
whisky. The result has been most
wonderful increase in the quantity
Of malt liquors produced and consum
ed in the country, which must be APP
I parent to most persons, who cannot
have failed to have observed the rap
id multiplication Of brewcrics and the
steady decree Of distileries through
out the length and breadth Of the
land and that, in all saloons of high
and low degree, where malt liquors
were short time ago unknown, they
are now recognized rs the principal
article Of sale. The census reports
of 1860 give the production OF malt
liquors throughout the United States
for that year at 3,239, $40 barrels-an
increase of 175 per cent. over the cen
sus returns Of 1850 / have no means
of ascertaining the quantity produces
ed per annum at the present time,
but can approximate to it by taking
the latest official data upon the sub
ject, which IS given in the last report
of the Hon. David a. Wells, special
commissioner of the revenue to the
secretary Of the treasury, and by him
submitted 10 Congress, a year ago
Mr. Wells gives table showing the
number and value of the stamps sold
to brewers from Aug 20 TO Nov Is,
1866 (the stamp regulations had only
then commenced to go into effect),
which, il continued through the en-
tire year at the same rate, would in>
dictate 7,9l6,575 barrels and. as this
would be independent of the product
which evades the governmental tax,
| do not deem 1t extravaganza to place
the whole product Of malt liquors at
well up to 100000 parcels per an
mum, which would be an increase Of
more than 800 per cent,since 1860.
This enormous increase in the CON
sumption of malt liquors very natur.
7
the materials from which this class
OF liquors is made Almost every
| farmer in the country has observed a
steady increase in the demand for
( barley, which has not only been suf>
/ ticient to consume the entire product
1 Of the steadily increased acreage de-
voted to its growth, but also very
/ liberal importations from Canada -
But, owing TO the want OF intOrma
ton rs to the best modes of cultlva>
ton. the constantly increasing de-
mand for hops has not so generally
attracted the attention of agricultur
/ lists, In few localities, such as this,
where hops were grown to some ex>
tent previous to the war, the increas F..
+ ca demand and prices have stimulat>
4 ed the production Of this article but
generally the farmers throughout the
country have given it but little at
+ tention And. as it has been demon
strated that it will hencetorth rank
among the most profitable branches
OF agriculture in this country, | have
thought it hes, to improve the oppor
tunity presented by passing visit
to this country to make the readers
of the Times acquainted with the Pc
culiarities, the advantages, end the
disadvantages of hop culture.
Figures as a general thing are not
very interesting but still presume
the readers Of the Times will be
pleased with a brief statement show
-. thn nr,nnnt &c hons ,nrnl1,nnl -,