The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-04-02

for very light wines, or the use of wa
ter to dilute the wine. Wine is most
appreciated at normal temperatures,
particularly when taken with meals,
which is the only proper time for use
of wine.
The area of France is about half
that of the Southern States east of
the Mississippi River. While it is
slightly further north, yet it's climate
is about the same as that
of the South, owing to in
iuences of ocean currents. The
South has many native grapes, which
had it's people ever understood the
proper sphere of wines in the social,
political and physical economy OF the
human race, would have been improv-
ed, until they surpassed European va
rieties perhaps, and in being adapted
to the soil, would have added millions
to the wealth Of the country. But
there can be no market, no proper
market for wines, until their proper
sphere is studied and recognized In
order to try to divert attention to this
proper study of what wine and grape
growing has done for other civilized
nations, few general facts are sub
mitted, limited space preventing going
into details.
1t is recognized by all who have
looked into the matter that grapes
have been most profitably grown on
what are practically the waste places,
that do not lend themselves to pro,
fitable cultivation Of any other crop.
But granting that they took up the
best lands, what crop is so profitable,
it q stable market We're afforded fer
the product. Grapes will produce
from half q ton of some varieties. on
some soils, to from twelve to fifteen
tons per acre of other varieties OF suit
able soil. A fair yield is 120 gallons
of wine per ton If we ever get to
producing wine by the billion gallons
ordinary wines, such as will be in
everyday use will bring from 10 to
20 cents per gallon. This will be for.
sound, we'll fermented light wines. not
aged. This price will be the price at
the winery without container. ana
will put wine in reach of every person
who can now use coffee or tea These
are the comparative prices in France
and italy. AT these prices, with prop>
en- care and cultivation, a net moons
OF 500 per acre can be expected An
income of 500 net per acre should
make such farm worth easily ST.
O'P per acre. There are in Norm
Carolina something over 10000. 600
acres If there were one acre in forty
Planted to grapes, the wealth of the
state, provided ready market for the
product We're assured, would add to
the real values of the State the differ
| ence in present value of say $1,000 per
acre, Cor ten million dollars) and
Sl,OOO per acre, Cone thousand mill
| lion Gollars,) or q difference of nine
| hundred and ninety million dollars
| Granting 1t were assessed at oniv rs
| per cent its actual value, the tax4bl.
| value 20 the State would be increased
| nearly $250,O00,0 100000. What Of the
annual output? With one million
| acres in grapes, producing 900 gal
| IONS q vine per acre, we would have
an ANNA! crop i'm North Carolina o; \
| billion gallons of wine, which at %
| cents per ga.lon at the wineries. would
| add to the annual wealth oc tn State
| $2OO,OO0,O00.00 (half as much az the
annual cotton crop, and settle for all
| Tune yexed question of distilleries. and
Whiskey For it is a fact of history
| th9t the man who drinks regularly
! n%ht VINE with his meals has all crlv-
| ing for alcoholic stimulant entirely
| sallSHed. In TACT, there are no peop,e
| J." hrar the evidence of sucil con.
| tent ana happiness and sobrietv as tho
| peasants of the Tyrrel, and the wine
| sections Of Eurcse.
Are these questions of sufficient i'm
portance to justify intelligent study?
| shalt we profit ny observation OF re-
| suits in other lands, not less highly
| clVlIi%"d lEal, urs, or shall we shut
/ our eyes to lessons easily solved. and
| fail to work out of this problem a
great national reform, and agriculture
| al wealth? Why shall we go on drink
| ing the product of China, which has
put the whole race to sleep (and
/ worse than the sleep of DEATH led to
| the sleep and stupor of the opium
| eater), or of Brazil and Java sending
| our millions there to fix on us a ma
| tional habit which is not beneficial,
| when we might substitute instead a
| home grown product which the history
| of all ages proves has been an element
of food, fostering the mental faculties
| as a nerve food, (not stimulant or ir-
| I'itant, but food; when any one of
several States in our own country
/ could add billions to it's wealth and
solve this temperance question, (Which
is no nearer being settled than it was
| fifty years ago. by the adoption OF
| laws which should tend to educate
| the public to proper appreciating of
pure wine as a food element. Let us
study the subject and get at the facts
as they are indisputable presented to
us in the history of the nations of
! the past and present, and without
| prejudice undertake to reach just
conclusions, and profit by them.
PAUL GARRETT.
Norfolk Va, March 80, 1905.