Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-01
GRAPE-CULTURE.
REVIEW OF THIS INDUSTRY IN
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Practical Information and Sugges-
tions Concerning Putting Out
and Care of Vineyards.
Written for the New Years REcoRD-Uslos. b

to call the attention of your readers
to the most valuable and instruc-
tive report which has been issued, the
past year, by theState Press. l refer to the
second annual report of Mr.. Charles A.
Wetmore, Chief Executive Viticultural
Officer. 1t should be in the hands of every
vine-grower in the State, and merits the
careful study of every one interested in the
product of the vine whether merchant or
grower. Attention to the numerous sug-
gestions therein made will prevent many
mistakes, not only by individuals, but by
communities engaged in viticulture. 1t is Il
mere loss of time for each person to expert
ment or plant at haphazard, when we can
have the assistance of the knowledge of
people who have cultivated the grape for
centuries, and who have finally settled
upon the culture of only few of the best
varieties.
LITERATURE UPON THE GRAPE.
There is, comparatively, no literature of
the grape in our language. The best
authorities are German and French writer's
and the translation of such of their works
d. diS 'tlASh iOA VttA tANSNiS hS4it' tti' '
from time to time, supplied by Mr.
Wetmore in his annual reports. At the
last Viticultural Convention questions We're
asked by attendants which have been an
swered several times over in the reports by
the Commission, and at former Conyen-
tons held under the auspices of the Com
mission. He who plants a vineyard must
make up his mind that his vocation calls
for the highest order of intelligence, and
that if he docs not avail himself of the eX-
perience of the past and the means of study
afforded him by the labors of the Viticult-
ural Commission must in few years find
himself far behind in progress, and with
an unstable and worthless vineyard.
These reports can be obtained from the of
flee of Mr. WctmOre, at San Francisco,
upon request, accompanied with 70 cents of
postage stamps.
CHOICE OF CULTURE.
In planting vineyard, the first step is to
determine definitely whether grapes for
raisins or wine, or for the table, are best
suited for the locality selected. if you al
ready possess the land, or il you have not
the land, which OF the classes of culture
you prefer, and then select the locality ac-
cordingly. l find that prejudice governs
many in making such a selection. AS for
llSldtlCp. one anu - on
posed to wine making, but as he is deter
mined to be a vineyardist. he sets it out in
! the raisin grape, only to be disappointed
after years of toll and expense | think il
may be conceded that northern California,
| as a whole, will not prove to be the raisin-
producing section of the State. Except in
few sections, the product has not come UP
to the standard The early fall rains must
preclude the extensive and secure growing
of the raisin grape. Besides, as Mr.. Wet
more writes, the Moscatel repeats in Cali
| fornia, more or less European history,
and it is probable that- Before long our ex-
perience will cause its culture to be re-
stricted to certain districts most favorable
to its growth and fruitfulness." And it
will not be many years before such districts
are discovered when the benefit TO be de-
rived from common experience will pro-
duce the best raisin, and the large amount
produced in one accessible locality will
command the highest price and complete
monopoly of the market.
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PAST
Points to southern California as the section
in which such district will be discovered.
am satisfied that it is the part of wisdom
in the northern part of the State to devote
ourselves to the wine and table grape, leav-
lIS 10 tIlOSG StCIlOilS VI tllC CLdlt NIT llIc
summer is warmer and longer the exclu-
sive making OF raisinS. For Il long time to
come it is to be feared that the cost of
transportation viii limit the extension of
vineyards devoted to table grapes, except,
perhaps, in sections Immediately traversed
by the railroad. The valleys will still be
devoted 10 cereals, or such fruits as need
rich and deep soil, and where size, rather
than quality of fruit, is the desideratum.
Vineyard planting Will, l think, be extend
ed more in the foothills, and hence | am
persuaded that the major part Of the grapes
hereafter grown Will be turned into wine.
| And this brings Us face to face with one OF
the absorbing questions Of the day.
TIE TEMPERANCE QUESTION.
Is it desirable that the State should foster
! a culture which some seem to think is
| fraught with danger to the rising genera
ton? Mere sentiment or argument will
not settle the question. Given that those
who oppose the manufacture of wine arc
| honest moralists, and sincere in their opin-
| ion, it must also be conceded that those en-
gagged in yiticulture are likewise sincere in
their belief that the use of wine is con-
| ducive to temperance and health and is Al
| the same time preventive of a taste for dis
| TILED liquors. | have no doubt that the
question, as one OF conscience, las adj
/ dressed itself to many, and they have
solved it by the light Of history.
Mn. wETMoRE's STATEMENT.
Mr.. Wetmore has discussed this question
with much vigor and breadth of view. Is
those who oppose his views are not likely
to read his report, take the liberty OF
making some extracts from it for the popu-
lar reader. He says:
| The statistical resources in France for the
study Of these questions are remarkably accurate
and complete. All fermeuted and distilled
| beverages are so taxed that perfect record o
| the consumption p1rcapitG Of each kind in each
| department can be traced. The tables prepared
| by Or. Lunler show that the percentages OF acct
! dents, drunkenness, deaths insanity and sal
Cides attributable ia alcoholic excuses vary di-
| rectly in proportion TO the consumption of beet
root, potato and grain spirits, and inyersely in
| proportion to the consumption of wine; that
| where swine is produced and con
sumed the most the consumption of spirits
| decreases, The evil results of alcoholic
| excuses are demonstrated as TO the use OF
| spirits cider, beer and wine, in the order
| named, in proportion 10 quantity consumed
being the worst in the of the first and least
II ut all 10 be mentioned. in the case of tnc last
! As Illustrations, compare the following: De
| part1ncnt of the GlrOnde Including Bordeanyl
consumption per capita in litreS "a litrc being Il
little less than quart, crannum-Spirits, l.36
| vine 50: beer. 3 ~ Conviction for drunken.
| ness in public, for each lOO60 Inhabitants i'll
| 1874 f7G. $50 accidental deaths attributed to
! alcoholic excuses for each 10000 III 1S72-lS75
| II; insanity charged to alcoholic excuses. per.
! centage of each 100 committed in lS67-lsG9 and
| lS4-lS76. 1874; suicides from alcoholism, per
| centsge of oNch 100, l2G0
| Department of Aude same heading)-Spirits
| 30: wine, 200, beer, S74; for each 1000, drunk
$50; accidental deaths, .0s; insanity, 9.oS; sui
cides, 0.
FIGURES X COMPARISON.
To make the comparison. select from q
number of cases sted = one where the
amount of spirits consumed is nearly halt
| that OF wine. The Department of Seine
| lnferieurc consumed per head, in liters
| spirits 10; wine, y cider, 70; beer 600
Ia each 10000 inhabitants: Convicted foI
| drunkenness, 1862 accidental deaths, 81
insanity, PIGS suicides, go. In the lat.
| ter department, where only q quarts q
wine were consumed per head per annun
but where 10 quarts Of spirits per head
were drank, we find that in each 10000 in
/ habitantS there were 10 persons convicted
| of public drunkenness, while in the De
partment of Audc, where 260 quarts OF
wine and l quart Of spirits were consumed
| per head, there were only little less than
three persons out of every 10000 convicted
of drunkenness.
To make the comparison more forcible
will ask the reader 10 imagine that the
Police Court record Of Sacramento city
population 5000, should show for one
year only seven persons convicted of pub
lie drunkenness We would then be on q
par with the Department of Aude The