Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-08-08

Grape Raisers. and the consump-
tion of the Product OF the Wine
Grape Plainly Put
At meeting OF the Santa Clara With
cultural Society, held at Rutherford's
Hall last week Chas A. Wetmore, state
Viticnltural Officer was introduced, and
said that the meetings Of viticuliurists
are for study and not for speech making.
During the past few years ho had had
occasion TO modify his views, especially
in regard TO legislation relating to the
yiticnltural industries. la reference TO
the phyloxera, one diseased vineyard
had been found in this county, and two
others were afterward found partially
affected, these being in the direction OF
tho
PREVAILING SUMMER WINDS.
To those who have consultea him In
regard to planting on the west side Of
the valley he had said that it was com
parativ,ly safe TO do so, but to gentle
man who had told him that he was think
ing of planning vineyard in the eastern
part OF the valley. In the neighborhood
Of the Auzerais vineyard, he had stated
that he should not neglect to plant resist.
ant vines. Santa Clara county Is des.
tined to rank among the finest wine pro-
ducing districts. The time will como
when all the districts will be graded for
this purpose. Tnis county has the ca.
pacity for making the best wines. In
places II is particularly adapted to max.
ing dry red wines similar 10 the Burgun.
dy. Quality OF products should be the
aim and ambition OF this and Of all val
leys. The time will come when the lar.
gest quantity will pay the best, but that
time is far distant. At present quality
must be chiefly looked to. II is the only
way to win the market. The United
States have 50,000,000 of people. Th,
notions Of Prohibitionisis prevail onl,
on the border. and we know that ther,
is no civilized country in the world wher,
wine is not largely used. 1t Of cours,
does harm here and there. but the sam,
may be said Of ice cream and mince pie
The speaker would dwell no further OF
this point, as there are other natter
which he desired to talk about OF tn,
60, 900, 900 people In the United State
at least 80, 900, 900 have
NO PREJUDICE.
Whatever against tho drinking O
wine, beer, eto. We here In California
consume more wine than Is imported b,
the United States. We should Try to up
proach tho types which are satisfacto tor,
TO the world. Bordeaux makes the fines
wines and Cognao makes the tines
brandy. II the highest types OF re,
wines cannot be attained, then try tn
white wines. II these are not success
fully manufactured, then try til
ordinary wines. Putting and blowing vii
not make the wines sell. 1t is qualit
and cbeapness which make them sell
There Is no use Of trying to make hig
grade of wine ON piece Of wet alluvia
ground. You can never make raisin
where your grapes can not ripen. Their
10 no use Of trying to fight the world. w
must produce what the people want an
not what we think they osght to have
Upon the question of fermentation W
are very much behind the age. There
great deal of ignorance upon this subjee
and the only way 10 secure bette
state Of things Is to discuss it. While "
are considering the matter of elec,in
members Of Congress, wo should ascertai
what we want OF them. We should loo
upon politics as a very useful machine
We should see what we want, and insis
upon our Legislature and our Congres
guarding our interests. All we have I
do is to let people know that so far q
our industries go we are in politics. Th
majority OF the people Of the Unite
States are with us. A sound politici
sentiment should bearosed. In Pasaden
many are tearing up their Muscat grape
where they are not adapted to the cor
ditions in which they were planted. w
are in
THE BUSINESS
Of grape growing, not primarily for tn
support OF the laborers, but for the SUI
port of our own families. Incidental
we are interested in the laboriug clas,
and we will do what we can to advanc
their interests. In foreign countrie
capital is worth 3 per cent; il is wort
far more here, and for that reason cor
petition ON even terms is mpossibl,
The time is not likely to come when W
will not want the tariff. 1t will be tim
enough to talk about free trade whe
our products are admitted into foreig
markets untaxed. France is now in
porting more than it is exporting.
40 years France increased its wine pre-
duction from 100000, 900 gallons I
l,400, 900. 900. Englishmen are fire
traders because it is their interest t
do 30. Ignorance is one of the thing
against which we are compelled to wori
there being very large class who hav
not learned what good wine is. Th
average legislator in the United States
ahypocrite, the fact being partly due I
his own delinquency and partly to tn
habits Of the people. The average Cor
grcssman is an intelligent, bright an
wideawake man. As to the Prohibitio
party. they ask for something that |
impracticable that should not be granted
If liquor is responsible for all crime, ho,
is it that where there is no wine there
crime and wickedness. There is NOR
harm done by the ice cream saloons Q
San Francisco than by the liquor 80
looms, and there is more need of sur
pressing midnight balls than of suppress
ing the places where liquor is sold.
Respecting tho labor question, tn
growers should be able to look to rura
population for their laborers. II a nun
ber of people should to-day arrive fror
Europe aud find no work in the vine
yards, they will be driven into the fac
tories. What we need are people in til
midst of our most developed regions
We do not want to send them to Shast
county. Capitalists should be willing t
furnish land to immigrants in sina
patches, ii the labor question is to fin
its satisfactory solution. You must pro
vide place for the immigrants to sto
md sleep, or the factories will obtai
them all and you will never soc any o
them.