The Sunday herald., 1886-10-03
GRAPE CHAT.

EDITOR SUNDAY HERALD: At the Louisville
Southern Exposition last fail number of benches
OF grapes of large size from the Alhabra vineyard
OF Dr. Strentzel, California, excited admiration.
The largest OF them was one OF the Black Ferrara
variety, weighing few ounces above ten pounds
These lunches, In good maturity, after prOtracted
transit to Kentucky, remained In perfectly sound
condition for fortnight longer.
The largest bunch OF grapes IN the south OF Eu-
rope the writer has seen weighed thirteen pounds,
or q little over. This was In Spain. But now, as
you zee by the marked Item In the San Francisco
Chronicle, stupendous bunch was on exhibition at
the Mechanlcs' Fair In that city; which weighed
tweniy-eght pounds. so abnormal fruit, even Of
the white Syrian variety, which s noted for the size
OF It's bunches and the first yield OF graft Of last
March on a Wild California Stock must amaze.
Californians are reputed As exaggerating state
ments, II not actually lying braggarts. But, al
though have not seen that enormous bunch, am
not incredulous, because Judge from the many In
stances OF unexpected results iron California adapt
edness. No region Ia favored by nature for yicul-
ture like California. This assertion is sober truth.
Vacaville, In Yoo County, Ia the place the twenty
eight-pound bunch halls from. Great warmth OF
air and soil and moisture IN the latter In
abundance render that region capable AZ It
Ia to stock the California and outside
markets with all Kinds OF fruit OF admirable form
and navor ak weeks or more before Los An gees or
Southern California counties ripen theirs. The fe
cundiy Of several districts OF Yolo County, which
by rail from San Pranlisco IL reached In three hours
s extraordinary. Having exceptional facilities for
early maturing market fruit, only small proportion
OF Yolo vineyards need resort to converting the
grapes into wine. Now, It may be asserted that
where Providence has 30 bountiuly blessed State
II privileged to bring forth whatever s planted
there. Where tue palmtree and the humble potato
bloom side by Side, where the olive tree and the
grape vine ana ffull Trees OF every Kind, SEMI
tropc OF OF the extreme North, are called 10 render
immensely wealthy dozen times larger population
than AT present occupies California, where nature
points TO and people are eager TO follow the hint,
agricultural Intellectual perfection to be at the
head-t would surely be crime to deslst from fol-
lowing up the path OF progress and yield TO the un
fortunate whim Of many OF the beat lntentioned peo
pie TO sweep away that blessed plant the grape yine
Mohammed followed that course. What IL a Turk,
condemned TO water alone and necessarily abusing
Of spces. coffee, opium, narcotics, ETC., on the side
OF Christian people-not dyspeptic abstenlionists,
but those hundreds OF millions, who, accustomed 10
the fruit acids and Hats contained In the m0dcum at
the meal OF light, well-fermented table wine, laugh
at the possibility OF becoming drunkards7 The
grape Ii ihe tyqe promoter Of q nitions sobriety.
Wine II not its enemy.
Let people inquire why that article OF diet, light
wine, which Ia not DRAM but the tural and most
perfect asslmaling table beverage, would not make
people mere ~ modefdte az olher nauohs are?
Vine IL emphatlcally different from distilled drinks
Why debar tue AWerioan from the best means
OF reforming, or rather preventing. craving for
alcohol by confoapdlns pure wine with strong
liquors? yiticutare Is blessed industry. A hun
dred millions OF sober people In the OLD World who
use wine al their meals Will connrm this, aud hun
dreds OF thousands OF the medical faculty there will
prove It's sceniilc truth. when then, California viii
culture Is making strldes Ia perfecting quality OF
wines through adopting high-cass varieties OF
plants let tue sympathy OF patriotic Americans be
with them Il is sga from Providence thai where
bunch OF grapes OF 80 Incredibly high weight as
twenty eight pounds can he produced, surely the
grape industry should be followed aud perfected.
People VINO to-day cling 10 tue Impressions received
from a poor California wine OF the unnt Mission
grape 1ye, four nay three years ago, Will do well 10
meGsgEe Rallye progress OF the last few years by
looking for high sgafes of California wines-f ihey
eau get taem. F.P.