Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-08-27
WINE GRAPES.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT MEETING OF
THE GROWERS.
The Wine Makers Denounced by
the Growers-Thousand Of Tons
of Grapes to be Dried.

eral new signatures were obtained.
The minutes of the previous meeting
were read and approved.
The Chair said the first thing in order
would be the report OF the committee ap-
pointed at the last meeting to confer with
the wine makers, and called upon ex-Sen-
ator Routler for the report.
Mr.. Routier said that he, in company
with the other two members of the COM
mittee, Messrs. Manlove and Fassett, had
performed the duty assigned them. They had
gone to both the wineries the day before,
but had been unable to meet any of the
proprietors. They then appointed Mr..
Fassett committee of one to stay with it,
and if possible meet the wine makers, who
| apparently were keeping out of their way
He called upon Mr.. Fassett to report what
success had attended his efforts.
Mr.. Fassett-I went out last evening to
the Eagle Winery to see Mr.. Nevis, and was
| informed that he was not at home. From
there [ went out to Kohler's place, and
! found he was in San Francisco. His son,
who is in charge of the winery, said he
could say nothing about prices. On my
return 10 the city | again stopped at the
winery, and found Mr.. Nevis at home
and very communicative. | asked him if
/ he was prepared to state what price he
would give for grapes this year, and he re-
piled, $40 for Missions and $12 for Zinfan-
dels. That was as far as my duties TO the
Association went, and so / asked no further
! questions.
| ]. G. Patterson, an extensive grower at
Reuters Station, moved that the commit
| fee he granted further lime
Mr., Routier-Let Us proceed in this bus
| mess understsndingly. Mr.. Nevis offers us
| $40 and $l2 ton for our grapes delivered
| at his winery. Three carloads of green
grapes make one of the dried article We
are assured 81 cents per pound, or $40 per
ton, for the dried product. sincerely hope
that no one will be weak enough TO sell
their crop for $40 or So per ton to the
wineries, when they can realize so much
by the drying process. Let this committee
be authorized TO say we have from 5000 to
| 5000 tons of grapes at our disposal, and
the Winemakers will likely come to their
sensGs The winemakers are not ready,
and will not be for from ten days to two
weeks, 10 receive the crop, and nothing,
| therefore. can be lost by giving this COM
| mittee one week more time with privi-
lege of two weeks, if that length of time is
necessary. II we stick together we will
succeed; but if individuals go to the win
cries to dispose of their individual crops
then we are lost. Weinstock & Lubin to-
day telegraphed to London to know what
price can be realized on dried grapes in the
English market. A meeting of the wine
grape and raisin growers is to be held in San
Francisco on the 9th of September to en-
deavor, if possible, TO establish perma-
nent market for the dried product of their
viney ards. The moment we receive good
market for dried grapes then will we be
the masters of the situation.
Or. Manlove exhibited a letter from E.
C. Loomis, of New York, who says that
Thousands of boxes of dried grapes can be
sold in New York CITY. annually for mince-
meat raisins, and they will bring for that
purpose and cents per pound, or from $120
| to $40 per ton. We must not rush matters
If the wineries should set a satisfactory
price on our grape crop to-day they would
not be able to take them for from ten days
| to two weeks. In the meantime we will
hear from London and Bordeaux, and per
| haps will open up an avenue of trade that
will divert our crops from the wineries in
\ the future. Our commit ee visited the
Eagle Winery four times on Friday, and
| on each occasion were told by the man in
| charge that Mr.. Nevis was out of town.
| The proprietor's little daughter, however,
who overheard the remark, contradicted it
by saying, Papa is at home.n Mr.. Kohler,
| it is plain to be seen, has absented himself
| from the city in order to avoid meeting
| the grapes to dry up as much as possible on
! the vines, so that they will get two tons for
| one. In the meantime if you cannot sell
| your grapes dry them.
The committee was granted further time
| by unanimous vote of the meeting.
Mr. Patterson said he had experimental
| with Zinfandels this year and found he
could dry them in five days.
DR.. Manlove said the present hot spell
! was making raisins on the vines of the
Muscats.
| Mr.. Routier-You who have wine grapes
must be prepared to make wine another
year. In this way you will not be at the
| mercy of any one, but be able to avail
yourself of the profits of your labor.
| Mr.. Patterson said 1t vas very easy To see
| who made the profits. kohler sold his
wine for 40 cents gallon, and was not
| willing to pay the grower of the grapes a
| rate equal to one half Of that The mana
ger of the Natoma vineyard told him few
days ago that their Zinfandels never netted
them less than $50 per ton.
| d. Reese, of Florin, made a lengthy
argument in favor of sending some one to
4
guese wine-makers. They had come into
this market every year snd paid good
round price for grapes delivered in the cars
at Florin, Elk Grove Sacramento, and on
| the steamboats, in this city. They were
| square men, dealt squsrely, and be thought
quite large proportion of this years crop
| could be marketed i'll this way at remuner-
alive prices
| Dr. Manioye said one season he sold his
Il -. q. O..
| wine makers, delivering the same on the
+! boat in this city. He thought the idea of
sending commissioner to San Francisco
to confer with them q good one.
Mr.. Routier moved that Mr.. Reese, of
| Florin, be appointed commissioner to go
| to San Francisco TO see the italian wine
makers. He was a gentleman who was
acquainted with those people. having sold
his crop to them heretofore. He also
moved that the expense of Mr.. Reese's trip
on this business be betrayed by the associa-
ton.
Mr.. Reese asked that some one else be
selected for this mission, but the meeting
would not listen to his argument, and Mr..
Routier's motion was carried.
Mr.. Weinstock, who came in at this time,
| was asked to make some remarks. He
said he was pleased to see so many of the
growers present. A movement wss on
foot, he said, to have State convention OF
fruit growers, driers and dealers in San
Francisco on the 9th of next month to dis
cuss the questioned marketing dried fruits
All efforts heretofore on the part of growers
and shippers have been in the direction oil
placing green fruit This year the market
for dried fruit is fat, there is very little
movement in that line and the sales are
very unsatisfactory. The drying of the
grape crop this season makes the consider
alton of this matter an important one II
is an easy matter TO dry grapes, but the
selling OF the dried product is quite another
matter 1t is believed that large demand
for dried grapes can be developed We
learn that in Europe particularly ir
France, millions of pounds of dried grape:
are used annually in making wine. 1t j.
believed that the auction plan of driet
grapes can be success fully employed il
! New York, and at those sales the large
wine-makers of Germany and Franc,
,, will be represented by their agents
who will be willing to pay
good price for the product. Thi
| plan if successful will at once make tn,
growers Independent of the wineries. H,
looked upon the proposed meeting at Sar
Francisco as one of great importance to tn,
! vineyardists of this State and suggested
that all who could attend its session should
do so and lend their moral as well as othe
: support to the movement. The market fo