National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1886-05-22

NllUhllN LOT consumption, n0NlnE imported
llN,@O,CO0 gallons more than her exports,
four or five times as much as the entire pro-
duction Of this country.
OUR WINE IMPORTS,
The imports Of wine OF the present time
are due to the force Of habit and to acquired
tastes for foreign vintages. There is a
little Of positively fine quality yet in
troduced, but Il is the belief Of
persons qualified to Judge that o
part at least Of the imported Wines arc In.
ferlor in purity and quality TO our California
product 1t is certain that California prod
ucts have been sought in foreign markets,
and almost equally certain that some have
returned, either unmixed or manufactured,
under foreign name.
II this is true, II is evident that time and
use will educate the taste for native wines,
and that importation will decline, eXporta-
ton advance by rapid strides, keeping at
home the money paid for foreign vintages,
which amounted to over $10000O0 per an
mum IN the last five years, and bringing
a still larger annual revenue from the ex-
port trade.
An analysis OF our imports shows that
decline Of Importation has been rapid of
late--for example, the imports In casks,
which amounted to over 100000 gallons
per annum from 1881 to 1888, were reduced
10y more than million gallons in 1854 aud
1885. In three years their cost was $685.
go; In the last two years only $i,221 1886.
The imports of wine In bottles has also de.
clnCd, hut not in like prOportlon--a result
which may he expected In view Of an opin-
on expressed IN the Paris daily agricultural
Journal, L'EchO .igricOtc, OF March 3, viz
"1hc champagne Of California is not to be
despsed, and they begin to send II all over
America, where II Is the more appreciated,
as the larger part Of that received from
Europe is only detestable imitation
The larger part Of our imports comes
from France, amounting In five years to
S2O,COOOOO out Of total Of $4,000, 600.
Nearly fCur.ilfths of the value OF French
receipts Is for wine in bottles. The recent
reduction In receipts Of cask wines is mainly
In French products. The average from 1881
TO 1888 was 2,ls0,9O5 gallons per annum,
that Of the last two years only 1907, 1874, a
decline Of more than one.half.
1t is well TO inquire what facilities are en-.
ioyed in this country for the establishment
of great national wine industry. The
abundance and vigor of native vines found
everywhere growing wild in the forest, by
tie first settlers Of America, raised high ex.
pectation Of the possibilities Of wine pro
duction In this country. 1t is stated that
Ralph Lane, the head OF colony In Vr-
ginia, wrote to England In 1898 that he
bad found in that country "grapes Of sucl
greatness, yet wilde, as France, Spaine, MOI
Itale have no greater" The vines OF
France were imported, experimental vine.
yards were planted, TO fail utterly from
the ravages Of mildew. Foreigners assumed
that the failure was due to want of practi-
cal knowledge Of vine growing, and
new experiments were tried, to fail as be-
fore. 1t soon became apparent to growers
OF judgment and experience that the diff.
Guilty In the way Of growing foreign wine
grapes was climatic; that while under the
protection of glass they might succeed, they
could not be grown in the open air. The
leaves were too delicate, the plant lacking
in hardness to Withstand the extremes OF
temperature and moisture Of the climate OF
the Atlantic coast.
Attention. was turned to the improve.
ment OF our native grapes, seedlings were
originated, LIBERALIZATION with foreign VINES
attempted, with great industry and pa.
thence, and with marked success. The
manufacture OF wines from these new va
rieties called forth renewed effort, and de-
veloped skill that has measurably tri-
umphed over great difficulties. The pop
ulari2aton OF these wines, requiring the
development OF tastes OF those who have
acquired o preference for certain foreign
vintages, is work Of difficulty entirely
independent OF the qualities Of the native
product and the perfection Of processes in
its manufacture.
But the resources of our continental do.
main are not restricted to the native vines
to the summer grape, the frost grape, the
fox grape, the scuppernong, &c, great a:
| are the possibilities only partially revealed
in scores Of valuable Varieties OF these fam
| flies as there is vast area on the Pacific
| slope In which the European wines flourish
| to Perfection, and where hundreds Of vari-
| eties of them have already been tested
| There the climate is especially prOpltious
and the soil is peculiarly adapted to the
production Of far greater crops than those
of sunny France. This wealth Of differ
| entiatiOn, botanical, geological and meteoro
| logical, favorable to variety Of vineyard
products, promise to make this country tn,
superior OF any in the world in grape grow
ing and wine production.
EXTENT OF OUR PROTECTION.
Our production is small at present, rarel,
exceeding 2O,CO0C0O gallons as yet, AM
about half of this is made on the Pacii
coast. Like other crops, grapes are variable
in Weld per acre, according to the vicissi
tudes OF the season. Californis has rapid
increased in vineyard area of late, unit
100000 and even 20,00O,OO0 gallons o
wine per annum are already deemed pos
sibility. Last year such expectations wer
not realized, owing to an unfavorable sea
son. but the product has been estimated a
100000 to 100000 gallons.
The wine makers OF California hav
studied European methods, employed Eu
ropean experts, and spared no pains no
expense to secure the highest attainabl
success, and II is fair to say that they hav
achieved as much as could possibly be eS
pccted in the limited time In which thi
education has been perfected. The futur
Of vineyard culture in this country is a!
sured. Success is sure to follow the eifor
to make the United States independent {
foreign countries in all products Of the win,
and an increase of exploration is equal
certain, to supply deficiency Of foreign prt
duction and to satisfy the preference fc
peculiar and characteristic products whic
must inevitably be stimulus to our futul
foreign trade,
THE RAIsIS INDUSTRY.
The best raisin grapes of Europe gro
with vigor, and producei in great abundauC
in California. Ten years ago the industr
was fairly initiated, ! and raisins euu
to the best London layers were produced
as the highest product Of the most a.
vanced practice, though the average quail
then was not equal to the average OF receI
crops. II is probable that the greatness
the future of this industry may not
generally appreciated. II has already becon
an important source OF rural revenues, an
the product is rapidly increasing The r
quirements Of nearly sixty million peop
must be met by the Pacific slope, or by TO
eign countries The demand will increai
with the abundance Of the supply. II
home production, considerable as 1t I
does not reduce importation, does not eve
keep It stationary, The importation
ten years, 1871 to 1850, averaged 33, 73l 81
pounds per annum, and cost 2,2O9,2l6 al
nually; but the imports Of the past Il,
years have averaged 1920, 473 pounds, an
cost So, 246, 20 per annum. The impor
have increased annually since 1875, exec
In lss5, and the cost Of imports have 4
creased annually from 1878 to 1885. Eve
now the home product is scarcely l5p
cent, OF the supply. Ten times the presel
production should be attained within ii
next ten years. 1t is not only In Californi
hut IN New Mexico, Arizona, aud prObab
IN portions OF Texas that raisin grapes mi