The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-03
WINE AND RAISINS.

Il has been-usual 10 figure the annual ex-
port OF wine from this State at about S.OON,-
900 gallons, but we observe that the mana
ger of the Viticultural Exchange. who has
collected The statistics with care. finds that
we shipped by sea and rail in 1890 a total of
9109,o74 gallons, an increase of nearly
million gallons over last year This is ex-
elusive Of 6l4,S05 gallons of grape brandy,
the shipment Of 1890 being 90 per cent in ex-
cess of that of 1899.
The chief difficulty of keeping track of the
vine Industry in this State arises from the
reckless manner in which statistics of its
progress are given out. Incorrect figures
which deceive people at the East and make
Yine-growers laugh-are constantly pub
lished as truthful records. For instance, a
Colonel Gardner, who seems to have made a
report to the Census Commissioner, esti-
mates the raisil crop Of Fresno and the adj
jacent counties at 100000 twenty-pound
boxes, and morning contemporary adopted
the statement as accurate; whereas, in fact
the total raisin crop will not exceed If il
reaches 100000 boxes. Colonel Gardner
adds that his 2O00,0 600 boxes will be worth
S3,000,000, whereas any Fresno raisin-dryer
could have tod him that the average price
was about 8712 cents per box, free on board
the cars. Statements like these lead to cruel
pp0intmentS, and east diScredit on all
statistics coming from California.
Mr. de Turk, President of the Viticultural
Commission. is generally reliable in his
statements, and we have used his reports
with advantage. He appears to realize that
the Wine and raisin industry of this State
can stand the truth. His estimates OF the
raisin crop are liberal, too liberal, according
to all accounts from Fresno, but they are
nf Ha i- ,lol -.
assuming that the total consumption of
raiSins in this country amounts to over
100000 boxes of twenty pounds EACH or
60,000000 pounds. But it is difficult to see
on what gro und he bases his belief that that
consumption will not increase, and that
every box OF California raisns that is mar
keted Will push out box of Spanish raisins
Trade tables show that the consumption Of
such articles as Taisins, which are partly A
necessary of life and partly luxury. in
creases faster than population, and at least
as last as commerce, as measured by bank
exchanges. In the nature OF things, the
California raisin will drive the Spanish
raisin not only out of the American hut
likewise out of the British markets: but il
would do this though tie crop were four or
five times as large as it is.
AS TO wine grapes, the great question of
the day Is, 10 what extent VIII future vint-
ages be reduced by the phylloxera and
other pests? Mr.. de Turk says that there
mas been no increase in the vintage since
c,aos anu tiat there is no prospect of any in
S'e"se 1or three or four wears Tn como 1T
least. This halt in what anno.,oa I'M "a "'
growing industry has been caused h, 49,
lie declares that thousands of acres j., VS. SJ-.
and Sonoma have been ravaged by the nbI,i
loXera, and that new centers of infection
nave been discovered in Alameda and Santa
Clara counties. Whole vineyards in these
counties have been destroyed. In Southern
California he reckons that between 10O00
and 1900 acres of vines have been devas-
tated by the Anaheim disease. How grave
disaster this may become may be inferred
from the single fact that in 1875 the French
vineyards yielded 1000, 1000 gallons of
wine. and that the phylloxera reduced the
crop to 546, 100000 gallons in 1887.
Appeal after appeal has been made to the
Vlhe-growers to use the only known rem
euS-hameiy TO uproot the diseased vines.
Vii, ' ,b them with resistant stock grated
do TrrIs,l og 3 European plants. But, in MIR.
bevond = sa an9nage, nothing has been done
tennis ~ il-hearted and spasmodic at
tbo+ tL,s = tue evil. 1t would seem
tiiaU UhiS Is a case for lepisIa+io -.
ence 1t would be competen+ se,l {, ihCerier-
lature at Sacramento to enact ma ,"e Legs
framed on the lines of the existing Gerr law,
iaw' compelling yine-growers to eT,i ,m,an
diseased vines, and in case of reealcitrapn ose
on their part to accomplish the work tbronnS
State officials. No man has a right to de-
stroy the value of his neighbor's propertv
through his own negligence. Every man
may, if he chooses let his own VINEYARD %
to ruin and impoverish himself. But no
man can nurse on his property pest which
is certain to ruin his neighbours vineyard
to lmpoyerish him, and to impair one of the
most valuable resources of the State.