Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-08-15
WINE GRAPE GROWERS.
THEY ARE BANDED TOGETHER
FOR MUTUAL PROTECTION.
The Product of Their Vineyards not
to be Sold to Wineries, Except
at Remuneratiye Rates.

to be Sold to Wineries, Except
at Remunerative Rates.
A call was made some days ago, by DR..
William S. Manloye of Brighton, Vitcult-
ural Commissioner for the Sacramento
District, for meeting of wine grape grow
ers to be held at Changers Hall on yester-
day afternoon at 1 P. NJ. No advertisement
had been placed in any of the local papers,
and in consequence the meeting was not
nearly so largely attended as it otherwise
would have been.
The meeting was called to order at 230 P.
NJ. by DR.. Manlove. He said that one of the
largest interests in the State was that OF
wine grape-growing, and the reason that il
was not one of the most profitable was that
the vineyardist did not make it so.
A few wineries would set the price on
grapes justa the season when the fruit must
be picked, and the farmer must accede
TO their terms or lose his crop. With
the wine makers ii was simply question OF
what they would give. They did not
figure on their own profits, but gave Just
enough to induce the grower 10 pick his
crop and haul it to the winery, and the
proprietor of the latter pocketed all the
profits. The Sacramento vine-growers had
suffered more at the hands of her local
wineries than had the grape-growers of any
other section. While manufactured wine
was worth just as much in Sacramento as
at the Bay, nearly all being shipped East,
still the wineries at San Francisco gave five,
SIX and seven dollars more ton than they
do here, which just covered transportation
drayage, return freight on boxes, all in
Guided
He said the Italian wine makers in San
Francisco used several hundred tons of
grapes, and they gave better prices than
any other OF the wine-makers. He believed
that rather than submit to the prices in
sisted upon by the wine-makers, it would
be better for the growers to dispose of what
they could TO the Italians, dry the rest and
look to the East for market for the dried
product, where it was used in the manu.
facture of wine. A good dried grape
made good class of wine and can be dis
posed of at a profit in the East.
In order to ascertain what the dried fruit
can be sold for East, dispatches were sent a
few days since making the inquiry, and the
following kilograms were received in reply ::
NEW YORK, August 1S, 1888
II. Weinst0ck, Sacramento: Perhaps two cents
pound. Only used for distilling purposes Can
not advise shipments. SGoBEL d DAY.
BosToY (Mass.). August IS, 1885.
H. a: WeiRSt0ck Sacramento. Very limited
sale dried grapes. Possible price four to five
cents. BLACK q RIPLEY.
CHICAGO, August II, 1888
Helnstock d Labin, Sacramento: Sold last
season at four and half to six Think good
stock would sell readily at five cents.
PORTER BROS. & Co.
Here, you see, is an article that can be
kept for weeks and months and sold at a
good profit over the prices obtainable here.
There is not a question of doubt but that
the wineries now in operation at the East
and others that will be established. will
look in the future for their supply to the
vineyards upon this coast, and in them our
local wineries Will find strong competitor.
A large proportion of the finest wines made
in France and Germany are from the dried
grapes imported from the shores of the
Mediterranean. We must do something to
protect ourselves, and in order to accom-
plish that end we must unite. A question
we must decide at once is, whether it is not
better to dry one half of our crop and take
chances on the other half. We would per-
haps realize as much for half our crop if we
acted together as we otherwise would for
the whole of it. He lad not heard whether
the local wineries had made their prices for
this year or not.
On motion of Joseph Reuter-, DR.. Man
love was chosen Chairman OF the meeting,
and j. w. Shepherd Secretary.
PIONEER GROWER TALKS.
Mr.. Reuter- was called upon for some
remarks, and in response he said this was
a small body; the meeting had not been
sufficiently advertised, and under the cir
cumstances he was of the opinion that it
was not advisable to take any decided
action. A ton of grapes would make $50
gallons of wine, and this, at 20 cents per
gallon, made $50 per ton for the product of
their vines. The grower had better make
his own wine. If you have no wine-cellar,
make it in your barn-the wine will be
just as good, will sparkle just the same, and
bring as big price. He had manufactured ;
he could do it again and so could every
man who raised ton OF grapes. All YOU
want is TO buy few tanks, squeeze out the
juice and you can sell it at a good price
Better get $50 a ton for your grapes by
crushing them at home than selling them
to the wineries at q loss to the grower.
There is no way to get out of this difficulty
except to make our own wine and dry some
of the grapes. Three tons of green grapes
make one of the dried fruit If we can get
5 cents East, deduct 1 cent for freight, and
We will have then q profit of over $50
per ton for our green fruit. He advised
making a little wine selling part of the
grapes to the Italian wine-makers, and dry
ing the rest. He said he would not sell his
grapes this season to the wineries, unless
he received SIS or $40 per ton.
AN FY-sTrPFPyTsoR's OPINION
L. H. Fassett, when called out, said he
was not prepared with facts and figures, but
from what he could learn there were large
profits in the wine industry but it all was
on the side of the manufacturer, the grower
simply having his pains for his trouble. II
the profits we're divided between grower
and manufacturer there would be no cause
for complaint but the latter. represented
by few wealthy firms, had banded them
selves together and made a price for the
grapes that barely repaid the farmer for his
labor. He had attended the meeting to
learn what he could, and with others to de-
wise some means whereby the honest toiler
would have right to at least portion of
the profits of his labor. The price set by
the manufacturers for the grape crop is far
below in proportion to the price set upon
the wine. The growers must organize and
as one man be able to dictate their terms or
be able to say Gentlemen, we have no
further use for you; we will manu-
facture our own Wines" The
wine can be sold as easily as
the grapes, and the profits derived
therefrom will enable the honest farmer to
beautify his home, cultivate more acres,
improve the breed of live stock, buy better
wagons and carriages, and add hundreds OF
dollars to the valuation of his estate. This
is q big question, but if undertaken in a
business like way it can be settled in a few
days to the benefit of every man in the
State who owns an acre of vines. The wine
can be made and sold at prices, admitting
the lowest, that will give the grower $50
per ton for his grapes, and the Zinfandels,
which wine readily sells for forty-five
cents, will give profit of $50 per ton. The
least these wines can be bought for here, or
at the wineries below, is forty-five cents a
gallon. From what / can learn the grower
is growing poorer each year, and some one
is pocketing enormous profits between him
and the consumer.
ADVOCATING A UNITED ACTION.
DR.. Manlove said there were two winery
plants in this neighborbood that repre-
scented many hundreds of thousands of dol
lars. If we put our grapes in the hands of
trustees to make a price and do the bust
tlarv