Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-23
TIE GRAPE PROBLEM.
IMPORTANT DISCUSSION OF THE
TTTICULTURAL QUESTION.
Interesting Statistics - CaIifOrnia1S
Coming Industry, the Guilt
walton OF the Vine.

4
| A meeting was held in the Assembly
chamber last evening for the purpose of
investigating the present condition and
immediate future of the viticultural in
dustries of California. The attendance was
quite large and among those assembled
were noticed several gentlemen who are
foremost in the industry that is making
such rapid strides in this State, and
which bids fair in a few years TO diSplace
in importance the raising OF that great
staple, wheat. Several members OF the
Viticultural Commission were present, as
were also representative truit-growers of
Napa, Sonoma, Placer, Ell Dorado, Los
Angeles, Butte Suffer and Yuba counties.
| The meeting was called to order by As
semblyman III. II. Pellet, who stated its
object He said that vitlcultural matters
were little understood throughout the State
at large, although it was fast coming TO the
front as the leading industry of the State.
This remark would not apply TO Sonoma,
| Napa and Los Angeles counties as in those
localities it had already become leading
industry and pretty thoroughly understood.
1t is assuming vast proportions, and owing
To the climate and soil III California.
in the near future it must necessarily be-
come the leading and oyershadowing in
dustry of the State. Millions of acres
of land, from Shasta to San Diego,
are adapted to vine-culture. In the north
the grapes will make excellent dry wines,
and along the foothills can be manufact-
ured wines that will rival in body and
| flavor the best brands of France, Spain,
Portugal or Italy. For the production of
| the best wines no country i'll the world is
| favored with a climate and soil so well
adapted Instead of the ten or fifteen
millions of gallons made annually as at
present, in less than five years the product
of our vintage will be over one hundred
millions. The question then arises, What
will We do with our product; where shall
we look for a market? Our California
wines are honest, pure and an article that
temperate people can use without fear. He
said in his opinion, that the introduction
throughout the Union of the light wines
manufactured in this State would do more
| for the cause of temperance than all the
efforts of the prOhibitionists and temper
ance organizations. Nothing was gained
| by PROM bit Dry laws; man needed a stimu-
| liant and refuses to be muzZled. He said
| he should not enter upon any discussion of
| this very important subject, but leave it in
! the hands of those who were converSant
upon the matter. He then introduced
Arpad II; rtszthy, of San Francisco.
| Mr.. HaraSZthy said he was 4 member of
| the State Board OF Viticulture. Up to 1880
the wine business of the State was small in
comparison to its present proportions.
| From $4,000 to 10000 acres are now in
grapes. In 1879 it was ascertained that the
grapes used in the manufacture of wines |
were not of the very best and most profit |
able varieties. Those engaged in the bust
ness saw the necessity of producing a bet |
ter quality. How was it to be done? The !
State had not assisted in the least those |
who We're laboring for the grape interest
| had no means placed at their disposal nor
| no official recognition. In 1850 the VIII |
cultural Commission was created, the bill |
was signed by the Governor, and became |
4 law in April of that year The Commits |
| sion consisted of seven Commissioners |
representing seven districts, and $1,000 |
totally Inadequate sum-appropriated for
the purpose of carrying out the provisions |
| of the bill. The Commissioners We're Sc
lected from the wine-growers of the State, |
who were supposed to be the best posted on |
such matters, and they We're to serve with
out pay At the next session of the LegiS- |
| lature $4,000 was appropriated but at the |
last moment the Legislature tackled on the |
| Horticultural Commission, which of course |
| took its proportion of the appropriation, |
and left the Niticultural Commission with |
a very small amount with which to accom-
plish a great work. The Horticultural |
Commission did great work, is still in ex-
iStence, but at the next session of the |
Legislature was cut loose from the VIII
cultural Commission, and the latter was
given $4,000. The entire amount of APP
preparations for five syears amounted to
$4,000. For this
TIE STATE HAS RECEIVED BENEFITS
Largely in excess of that amount in the |
shape of immense improvements and the |
| increased valuation of her lands The 40
900 acres in vines five years ago has in
creased until to-day the vintage area
amounts to upwards of 10000 acres, or an
increase of over three hundred per cent.
The taxable property of the State has been
increased from $50 900 900 to SO. 900 600 for
the simple outlay of $4,000. The labor of
The Commissioners is one of love who
with one exception are practical and old
hands at the business. Their duties have
been ardUouS, and one continued struggle
to overcome prejudice, disseminate knowl-
edge etc. The Commissioners not ONLY
suffered a great loss of time, but they also
used la'gely of their private means to as
sist in their undertaking. They plainly
saw that the immediate necessity was more
ton blending, new methods of pruning,
setting out vines, choice of varieties for diff
ferent localities, etc. The grape-growers had
been cropping in the dark for a quarter of a
century, and
DAYLIGHT Just BEGINS To DAWN UPON THEM.
And we are able to instruct the novitiate.
We hold annual conferences in San Fran
cisco, when all the vine-growers of the
State are asked to participate give us their
experience, and by this means get the ben.
eft of their knowledge and make their
methods more perfect and their wines bet
ter. In addition to these annual gather
ings, valuable information is disseminated
by the publishing of textbooks, many of
which are translated from the French
These are of incalCulable value to begin
ncrs. The result of these efforts has been
the planting of over 100000 acres of vines,
not 10000 of which are of the variety
known as the Mission. The lat er is u good
producer but not so valuable for wine
making as other varieties which have been
imported during the past five years, and
which are held most in esteem in wine
producing countries The planting
value of adjoining land. The most
interesting plantations in this State to-day
are the small holdings devoted to raisin-
making. Hundreds of families of small
means are now engaged in this profitable
business. 1t takes but a very
FEW ACRES To SUPPORT \ FAMILY
on small capital, the results are very
satisfactory, with quick returns. He said
two years ago the tariff on raisins was re-
duced from two and half cents to two
cents per pound At a convention of vine
yardists held in Fresno last June for the
purpose of getting the views of raisin-
makers it was decided that in consequence
OF high labor in this State il was inn
possible for the producer in this State 10
compete with Malaga. A resolution was
drawn up asking Congress to increase the
tariff from two cents To five cents per {
pound. ltwas great injustice to reduce
the tariff in favor Of foreign country and
compel our people TO compete with serf and
slave labor. The action Of that Conven-
ton will be submitted to the present I.egis- g.,
.s~i. ,..l,,