Los Angeles herald., 1890-06-19
A MISLEADING INTERVIEW.

vineyards of Southern California, which
is apparently founded on an interview
with Mr.. Charles Stern, formerly of the
firm of Stern & Rose. 1t might very
well have been written last year and the
year before, but it is absolutely inappli
cable to the present year. We cannot
help thinking that Mr.. Stern has been
grossly misrepresented. If he has not
been, he would certainly modify his
views now, in face Of the facts. The Sun,
in its geographical references, is greatly
wide of the mark, to begin with. 1t
speaks of Los Angeles as the center of
the San Bernardino valley, while, as
matter of fact, Los Angeles has nothing
to do with the San Bernardino valley,
and is the center of the Los Angeles val
ley, which, including the San Gabriel,
stretches inland some forty miles before
it reaches the San Bernardino line, with
spread of country reaching for eigh-
teen to twenty miles between Los An
geles and the sea. Says this somewhat
confused journal:
The trouble prevails in the San Ber-
nardino valley. This is fertile region
running from the coast some sixty miles
up toward the foothills of the noun
tains. Los Angeles is its best known
town. Hitherto the district has pro-
duced some of the best grapes grown in
the state. Vines covered every acre
and the yield has been enormous. From
time to time some slight affection OF the
fruit made portions of the crop poor or
useless, but these were only losses of
that kind which growers expect even in
Germany and France and Spain. Until
four seasons ago the prospect OF South
ern California, in fact of the whole
state, were so good that owners of land
felt happy about the future of American
wine. Since then they have gradually
lost their confidence, and now those in
the lower part of the state are giving up
their grapes and turning to the develop
ment of oranges, olives and other fruits.
We assure our contemporary that, in
stead of being discouraged, there has
never been period since vines have
been planted in Los Angeles when
our vignerons were more confident than
now, and we are certain that Mr.. Stern
has either been misunderstood or misin-
terpreted in the part he bears in the in
terview, and more particularly as to the
following passage. Mr.. Stern is quoted
as saying:
Little or nothing has been published
about it in California for plain reasons,
but there's no use denying the existence
of these conditions any longer 1t isn't
anything which affects the value OF the
land, for other things may be grown in
the soil II we are compelled finally to be-
lleve that grapes can no longer be culti-
waited in the lower part of the state.
The annoying thing is that we can't
tell where the trouble is going to STOP
The San Joaquin valley is north of the
Los Angeles region, and there are
rumors that that extensive territory is
affected. The growers there deny the
| stories, however, and we cannot tell
what the truth is for another season or
So"
On the contrary, every step of the
progress of the nal nero has been chron-
icled in Los Angeles with the most
painstaking accuracy. There has been
at no time the slightest disposition to
conceal anything, or to qualify the un-
questionable ravages that have been
made by the pest in the past. Mr..
Charles Stern is a high-minded gentle
man, and we acquit him of the slightest
intention or desire to misrepresent the
actual status of our vineyards; but, as
matter of fact, if he has been correctly
reported, he is ignorant of the real con-
dition of our vineyards, which have
improved amazingly since he was here
last.
To resume our quotations from this
misleading interview, Mr.. Stern is rep
resented as saying:
"When | was there last summer"
said Mr.. Stern, ''it was estimated that
the Nadeau vineyard of 2,200 acres
would yield $500 tons. All that it has
yielded is 2,700 tons. The prospects are
so bad now that they don't know whether
they will try to raise grapes for the next
season. Gen. Stoneman promised from
his vines 400 tons. All that he was able
to give us was 20 tons. A vinevard at
Downey promised 600 tons. All we got
was $50 tons. So it has been in many
other cases that have come under my
personal notice. Vineyards that four
years ago gave from 800 to 500 tons of
grapes have not given a bunch for two
years. The only thing to do that |
know of is to let matters move along
just as they are. Perhaps it may pay to
let the land lie idle for a few years and
then replant. 1t would not pay to re-
plant now, judging from the experience
of l.. j. Rose, grower in the San Ga
briel district. He had 175 acres that
were the pride of the district. There is
not vine left there. He planted new
vineyard, and it is now half gone"
Now, as matter of fact, the man who
would form his impression from the fore
going would be all wrong. Instead of
depression in the districts named there
is high state of exhilaration at the
| splendid showing of the vines, and the
writer from personal inspection of ex-
tensive regions of vineyard in the San
Grabiel and Los Angeles valleys, is able
to add his personal testimony to the
gratifying accounts which reach this
office from all hands. The new Rose
vineyard is in capital condition. There
is in all quarters room for congratula-
ton. In both the Rose vineyard and in
that of the San Gabriel Valley Wine
Company the outlook is quite twenty