The morning call., 1892-05-19
VITICULTURAL CONVENTION.
The Wine Men to Make a Fine
Display at the Worlds Fair.
Addresses By Charles a. Wetmore and Profes-
sOr Hilgsrd-Reports ofcOunty Delegations
on Exhibits-Another Session To-Day.

The State Viticultural Commission held
the first sessions Of two days convention
| at Irving Hall yesterday, at which topics
pertaining to its proposed display at the
Worlds Fair were discussed. About IS
members from all portions Of the State were
present.
In the absence Of the president and vice.
president of the commission the meeting
was called TO order at 80 A. N. by |. de
Turk Of Santa Rosa. Winfield Scott, secre-
tary of the viticultural commission. as
sumed the duties of secretary.
Mr.. De Turk stated that the object of the
convention was to make the California
vitieultural exhibition at the Chicago expo
siton grand success. Worlds Fair Com
missioner De Young read paper on the
work done by the national committee at
Chicago.
Charles A. Wetmore spoke on the prac-
teal advantages TO be derived from the
Chicago exhibit by winegrowers lie said
no mistake had been made in the location of
the fair and the expenditures thereon. The
wiuegrOwers were in poor financial c0ndi-
tion 10 make display There was hardly
one vineyard in 20 on the coast that was not
for sale. Still the speaker believed that II
concentrated effort was made show would
be Of advantage.
What was needed was capital to develop
the industry. Talk of county exhibits was
the veriest bosh the only way to succeed
was for the whole State to unite-nOt 10 try
to compete with each other. The wine
growing Industry is to-day in the most
abject condition Of any on the face of the
earth. 1t needs more capital to work the
vineyards The producer wants more credit,
and he wants more merchants TO handle hls
goods. The speaker had been awarded a
~ dol hftt haG M flC KUn1Il1
much rather have a $50 gold piece lie
feared the viticultural interests at Chicago
would be placed in the hands Of Ignorant
men. He wanted the exhibit so managed
that when the wine men left Chicago every
hotel in the city would be furnished with
list Of their wines.
TO TEST WINES.
The following committee was appointed
10 test wines sent here for an opinion as 10
their quality: A. @. Chauche, j. M0rtier,
F. A. Haber F. Beringer and H. w, Crabb.
The convention then adjourned until
o'clock, at which hour reports from the
county delegations on display at the Worlds
Fair were made as follows:
Mr.. Sondhemer of Napa County stated
that he had a list Of 100 members, but they
were not yet organized. lie hoped Tor aid
from the Supervisors.
MI De Turk said the Supervisors had
done and will do nothing. They claim the
county is already too heavily taxed. The
people are about equally divided.
Clarence Netmure of Alameda County
said that whatever money was needed
would be Furnished by the Supervisors for
a State exhibit.
DR.. Mintie Of Santa Clara County stated
that the county was fully organized. A
committee Of % had been appointed by the
Supervisors. ana an application for 5000
square feet had been made. At recent
meeting Of the Supervisors the sum to be ex-
pended was limited to $4,000.
MI LarHe Of Sacramento County reported
that the Supervisors had promised to make
an appropriation of $500, which was liable
TO be cut down. a committee OF 90 had
been appointed to solicit subscriptions.
The county intended 10 make a fine exhibit
OF tree fruits as well as OF wines.
Mr. Prebie OF San Francisco said that the
city dealers would make fine exhibit, but
Re was unprOv.ded with particulars
Mr.. Mcneil read a report on the State
vitcultural exhibit, which was mainly CON-
posed OF answers to letters addressed 10 the
department. lie had sent cut 2400 letters
and received 50 replies. He read a letter Of
information from j. NJ. SamuelS, chief of
the horticultural department, and stated
that 20 county organizations had been
formed IN the State
:. p. COnnOr of St. Helena moved the ap-
pOintment of a committee Of three from
each county TO confer Tor the best plan Of
action, to report at to-day's morning ses-
sion.
THE COMMITTEES APPOINTED.
Dr. Mntie offered an amendment that the
number be reduced to one from each county.
Carried.
The chair appointed the committees as
follows:
Alameda-A. G. Chauche.
Contra C0sta-JOhn SWEET
Los Angeles-S. c. Bichowsky.
Sacramento-H. NJ. Larue
Santa Clara-William Wehner.
San FranciseO-Charles Bundsehu.
Napa-S. p. Connor.
SOnOma-D. d. Davidson.
Professor E. w. Hilgard OF the State
University addressed the convention on the
conservation Of fruit 10 be exhibited at the
fair. He deta1ed his experiments for the
past T. years. There was danger IF getting
the fruit too ripe. To avoid this fruit must
be handled as little as possible. and ne
would recommend using papers when pick
ing. The three best liquids to be used were
sulbhurous gas, salicYlc acid and corrosive
sublimate. The latter is a deadly poison
and risky to handle. 1t preserves fruit for
few months, but gives 1t a CHASTITY, corpse
like appearance. The less it is handled the
better. To prepare sulphur water put
sufficient sulphur in barrel to impregnate
the water, The barrel must he kept tightly
closed. a glycerine solution is better than
sugar, which is apt to darken the fruit.
SalcyiIc aclu is an excellent conservative.
Ii is perfectly harmless, and requires but
very little TO preserve the fruit.
The professor exhibited specimens Of fruit
in jars which had burst and become too
large for its jackets. lie also showed cher
Ties preserved with and without salicylic
acid. The latter was a mess of mush, while
the former was in fine condition. A Jar OF
cherries bleached perfectly white with sui
phurouS gas was also shown. He would
use salicyic acid for all kinds of colored
fruit The professor distributed copies Of
the latest university bulletin, entitled
Preparation of Fruit Specimens for the
Columbian Exposition" aud replied TO
many questions from members seeking in
formation
Mr.. Turrill exhibited a jar Of fruit put
up by him in the fall Of 1883, which was in
excellent condition, and explained his
method Of preservation. The specimen was
greatly ADMIRED.
At o'clock the convention adjourned
until this morning at 10, when addresses
will be delivered by Captain Thompson OF
the Worlds Fair Commission and Arpad
Haraszthy of this city.
At the afternoon session the members
will discuss the crop prospects throughout
the State, and Mr.. Haber is to speak on
wine storage.