STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 181 



ing superior and excellent Sauterne, which will always bring the 

 highest price in market. Both are very heavy bearers. 



ISulfana may be regarded as a grape which promises well, for it hag 

 as yet been used only for wine making to a limited extent. What I 

 have seen was of a very good Sauterne type. It is, perhaps, the larg- 

 est bearer of all the grapes. 



There are, of course, many more varieties, some of which are known 

 to be valuable, and some are in a stage of experiment; but I have 

 given enough varieties, and those which are likely to be of great 

 value. To give more would be only confusing, and many of them 

 had better be left for a time in the hands of those who follow experi- 

 menting, and thus be approved or condemned as time will teach. 



There are many more points that suggest themselves which would 

 be of interest for me to discuss. One thought suggests another, and it 

 becomes difficult to stop; but I would tire you with these prosy 

 details, and I will bring my remarks to a close. T cannot do so with- 

 out a word of praise to the liberal people of Sacramento, in doing the 

 lion's share in giving the people of this State this grand and beautiful 

 Agricultural Hall. Our legislators are entitled, too, to the thanks of 

 the agricultural community for the wisdom and liberality which 

 they have ever shown in extending aid to our State Fair and the dif- 

 ferent District Fairs; for the appropriation to help build this build- 

 ing; and last, but not least, for the generous aid to the viticulturai 

 interest of this State, and for the maintenance of the Board of Viti- 

 culture. And this is as it should be. A land that is so favored by 

 Nature should also have sons to aid it in the rapid march of develop- 

 ment. I may say with confidence, that from every dollar so expended 

 a hundredfold benefit has been derived. 



The Board of Commissioners have all been educators, and also 

 been educated, and viticulturai people have learned more in the last 

 three years about planting and caring for vines, about wine making, 

 fermentat'ion, curing raisins, grafting, remedies for vine pests, and 

 other subjects pertaining to viticulture, than all their knowledge of 

 previous years. I believe that Californians are the best posted people 

 and are freer from prejudice on these subjects, than any other people 

 on the globe. 



All the Commissioners have done something to this end, and they 

 have done it because they wish to help on the good work of making 

 California in fact, as well as by nature, the favored vine land of the 

 world — not for price, but for love of country and mankind. Very 

 much, however, has been due to its chief officer, Charles A. Wetmore, 

 for he has devoted his entire time and mind to the study and teach- 

 ing about every branch of this subject. It is a hobby with him, and 

 fortunately for us, his very nature impels him to be always ready in 

 reading and observing. He seems to acquire knowledge intuitively 

 and gather facts on the fly. 



Mr. Arpad Haraszthy, the President, also has done much by his 

 writing and speaking, and combines with his practical experience 

 deep study and thinking. He is a hard worker and good educator. 



Mr. Matthew Cooke has helped very materially in pushing the 

 good work along, with experiments and in devising remedies for the 

 various diseases of plants and insect pests. 



But I wish to call particular attention to the work done by Pro- 

 fessor Hilgard and his assistants, Messrs. Rising and Morse. They 

 are doing work of incalculable benefit to the wine interest of the 



